Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CLERMONT, Fla. – The Shippensburg University softball team endured a long and rainy afternoon and evening at the National Training Center, splitting its games on Friday against Minnesota Duluth and Merrimack.

SU dropped a 2-1 decision in eight innings to Minnesota Duluth before rallying to tie the score in the seventh against Merrimack and ultimately defeating the Warriors, 7-4 in eight innings.

Shippensburg (16-3) had its 11-game losing streak snapped against UMD but played well in a pitcher's duel between Julia Nealer and SU sophomore Makenzie Lynn. Lynn allowed just two runs (one earned), striking out four in an eight-inning complete game.

SU weathered a 71-minute rain delay in the second inning against Merrimack and eventually fell behind 4-1 after five innings but rallied in its final at-bats. The Raiders scraped across a pair of runs with two outs in the sixth – tied the score with another run in the seventh, and broke the game open in eighth with a pinch-hit, three-run double off the bat of junior Rachel Shumway.

Shippensburg rode the arm of junior Emily Estep to victory in the nightcap. Estep allowed four unearned runs and eight hits but struck out a season-high 12 hitters – including the side in the eighth to preserve the win. She threw 116 pitches and walked just one batter.

SU concludes its Florida trip on Saturday with a 3 p.m. re-match with Merrimack and a 5 p.m. clash with Slippery Rock.

GAME 1: UMD 2, SHIP 1 (F-8)

Another pitcher's duel occurred between the Bulldogs and Raiders – with Lynn in the circle this time for the Raiders. Lynn did not allow a hit through the first three innings but ran into her only significant trouble of the game in the fourth – giving up a single and a RBI-double to start the frame that gave UMD a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Raiders answered the Bulldog run with a two-out RBI blooper into left field off the bat of senior Kiersten Darhower. It plated junior Hilary Lyons – who stole both second and third base with two outs in order to score on the single.

Both teams had numerous chances before the international tiebreaker took effect, as both Duluth and Shippensburg stranded seven runners on base. SU left the bases loaded in the third inning and two more on base in the fourth, while UMD left a pair of runners on in both the fourth and the seventh innings.

In the eighth, Lynn induced a flyout to start the frame but then yielded a double into left field that scored the base runner. Lynn then got two more outs on fly balls to get out of the eighth.

Trailing 2-1, SU could not scratch across a run in the bottom half, as sophomore Jessie Trammell was ruled out for making contact with the ball in play on a bunt. Sophomore Taylor Weisman then fouled out to the catcher, and sophomore Tyler Thompson was then thrown out attempting to advance to third – ending the game.

Shumway drew a pair of walks in the game, while sophomore Liz Parkins had a single and a walk.

GAME 2: SHIP 7, MERRIMACK 4 (F-8)

Shippensburg dealt with adversity multiple times in its game with Merrimack and responded to it on each occasion. In the second inning, after a three-minute rain delay because of a downpour, play resumed (despite the downpour continuing) but was then suspended again in the middle of an at-bat with a full count, two outs and Weisman on second base.

After the lengthy weather delay, freshman Taylor Llewellyn stepped back into the batter's box and sent the first pitch over the third baseman's reach and into left field – plating Weisman and putting the Raiders up 1-0.

The fifth inning seemed to be the decisive frame, as the Warriors plated four unearned runs after a mistake in the field gave them momentum. With runners on first and second and one out, a bunt resulted in disaster as the throw to first base sailed up the line – allowing one run to score and putting two runners into scoring position.

A sacrifice fly put Merrimack up 2-1, and two-out RBI-doubles by Keaira Monet Perry and Kelli Jo Deardorff made the score 4-1 after five innings.

Undaunted, SU began its comeback with two outs in the sixth. With sophomore Maddie Justice on first base after a fielder's choice, sophomore Emmie Burke slammed a double that rolled into the right-field corner to make the score 4-2. Llewellyn then worked a full count before hitting a clean single into right field that plated Burke and made it 4-3.

In the seventh, Darhower singled through the left side with one out to begin the tying rally. Thompson then followed with an infield hit to the shortstop, and an errant throw to first base allowed Darhower to move to third base. A splendidly executed double steal helped SU tie the game – as Darhower bolted home as the catcher threw down to second base in an attempt to nab Thompson.

With the international tiebreaker in effect, Weisman started the eighth inning on second base. Justice sent the first pitch of the inning into right field, with the ball bouncing out of the glove of the diving outfielder and falling in for a hit. Burke then drew a walk to load the bases.

After a Llewellyn strikeout, Shumway stepped up to hit for Lyons, fell behind 0-2, then drew two balls and roped a 2-2 delivery into the left-center field gap to clear the bases. Estep then  struck out the side on 11 pitches in the bottom of the eighth to improve to 7-2.

Llewellyn was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs against Merrimack and is 6-for-11 in her last four games. Burke was 1-for-3 with the RBI double and two runs scored.