Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team scored six of its 10 runs Sunday with two outs, including a two-run double in Game 1 by junior Liz Parkins and a go-ahead, two-run triple in Game 2 by sophomore Taylor Pattillo to sweep Millersville, 6-3 and 4-3, on MS Awareness Day at Robb Field.
 
Shippensburg (21-5, 7-3 PSAC East) took sole possession of second place in the PSAC Eastern Division with its doubleheader sweep while Millersville (15-15. 5-7) dropped to sixth place.
 
Senior Emily Estep managed both wins from the circle, throwing four innings in the opener and two perfect relief innings in Game 2 to improve to 12-1 this season. The Raiders also handed a pair of losses to Marauder starter Brianna Andraos, who allowed nine earned runs in 7.2 innings on the day despite entering with the PSAC's second-best ERA behind Estep.
 
SU jumped on Andraos in the opener with six runs in the first two innings. A five-run second was kickstarted by a two-run double off the bat of senior Kirstin McClune, who fell behind 0-2 in her at-bat before working the count full and ultimately ripping the ninth pitch of the sequence into the left-center field gap.
 
With two outs, junior Maddie Justice drew a bases-loaded walk that chased Andraos before Parkins sent a 2-2 pitch from reliever Amanda Wink into right-center field to make it 6-0 in favor of the Raiders.
 
SU was patient against Andraos, drawing five walks and working two additional three-ball counts against the Millersville starter. Overall in Sunday's doubleheader, Raider batters worked 10 walks and also managed seven hits when there were two strikes in the count against them.  
 
Estep went four innings in Game 1, allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts. The Raiders got a key break in the third inning when MU's No. 9 batter, Stephanie Kulp, hit a home run down the left-field line but was later ruled out on an appeal play for not touching second as she rounded the bases.
 
Junior Makenzie Lynn managed a three-inning save in relief of Estep, allowing a lone run on a bloop single and scattering four hits. She struck out two.
 
Parkins moved from third base to pitcher in Game 2 and overcame an early one-run deficit with her second home run of the week in the second inning – a moon shot that went more than 220 feet over the fence in dead center. She took a no-decision for her pitching performance, allowing three runs (one earned) in five innings while striking out three.
 
SU trailed 3-2 entering the bottom of the sixth inning in Game 2 before working another comeback. McClune led off the frame with her third hit of the day, a single through the left side, on another full-count pitch. Despite McClune's pinch runner being caught stealing, sophomore Briana Giovenco and senior Hilary Lyons followed with back-to-back singles.
 
A groundout moved both runners into scoring position with two outs, setting the stage for Pattillo to provide her second game-winning hit of the week. Pattillo worked the count 3-1 before sending an outside pitch to the base of the wall in right-center field for her first career triple that plated both Giovenco and Lyons.
 
Overall, McClune was 3-for-6 with her two-run double, while Giovenco was 3-for-7 and scored twice from the leadoff spot. Lyons had two hits and two stolen bases and now leads the Raiders with a .414 batting average this season.
 
The Raiders celebrated MS Awareness Day at Sunday's doubleheader, raising proceeds for the Chambersburg chapter of the Central Pennsylvania MS Society. Before the game, a check was presented to the Central PA MS Society by Tau Kappa, SU's women's athletic sorority, while Estep spoke of the impact of MS to the crowd. Both teams formed a circle in the center of the field during the presentation.
 
Shippensburg will play a doubleheader at Kutztown on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.