SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team had its 2014 season come to a sudden end on Sunday afternoon, as the No. 3 seed Raiders dropped 9-3 and 6-1 decisions to the No. 2 seed Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan College to conclude the 2014 Atlantic Region 2 bracket at Robb Field.
 
Shippensburg (36-17) entered the day needing to win just once against West Virginia Wesleyan (44-13) to advance to the "Super Regional" Championship series next weekend against the winner of the Atlantic Region 1 bracket taking place at California (Pa.). However, it was the Bobcats who broke through for 22 hits in Sunday's games to advance to face West Chester.
 
"These young ladies have worked so hard this year," head coach Bob Brookens said after the games. "We ended last year's season on a bad note, and the team made it an issue from the beginning this year that they would not be ending on that note -- and they did not."
 
West Virginia Wesleyan proved its mettle by finishing the Atlantic Region 2 Tournament scoring 30 runs and cranking out 40 hits in its four victories (two over Mansfield, two over Shippensburg) while hitting .374 in those contests. Its only loss came against Shippensburg on Saturday, when SU senior Emily Estep (Chambersburg/Chambersburg Area) held the Bobcats to one hit in a complete-game victory.
 
From the onset Sunday, it was evident that the bounces were going Wesleyan's way. Alex Furr led off the first game by getting jammed, but serving her hit enough into right field for a single. After an immediate sacrifice, Bobcat designated player/pitcher Jacqui Omichinski ripped a double into left that gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
 
Another bloop single followed, and a sacrifice fly on a close play at home put West Virginia Wesleyan up by two before the Raiders came to bat.
 
SU tied the score in the second inning, as junior Tyler Thompson led off with a triple and then scored after junior Liz Parkins snuck a double into left field. Parkins eventually scored on an infield single by senior Hilary Lyons.
 
Wesleyan chased Estep in the third inning, however, as it loaded the bases with one out and got a two-run double from Jessica Rodriguez to go ahead 4-2. Junior Makenzie Lynn entered the circle and stranded two runners in scoring position with a pair of strikeouts.
 
SU got one back in the third inning on a wild pitch and knocked Bobcat starter Jess Griffin out of the game, but Omichinski entered in relief to stop the threat and limited the Raiders to just one hit over the final four innings.
 
In five games at this weekend's tournament, Omichinski was 7-for-16 (.438) with three home runs, two doubles and nine RBIs while going 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA from the circle.
 
Lynn pitched well in relief before being replaced in the final inning of the opener. She gave up just one earned run in 3.2 innings with five strikeouts. Freshman Casey Thompson recorded the final three outs. The visitors scored five runs over the final two innings, three of which were unearned.
 
In the nightcap, Wesleyan got a two-out home run in the second by Rodriguez and a three-run home run in the third by Omichinski following an error with two outs. Lynn went the distance, allowing two earned runs and striking out two in six innings. SU's lone run was a fourth-inning home run by junior Maddie Justice.
 
"It's obviously disappointing that we didn't win the conference championship or the first round of the regional, but this team's work ethic and their special ability to be a family is anything that I as a coach could ever ask for," Brookens said. "It was great to be able to host this event this year, and with finals being held I could not have asked for a commitment than what they had during this week."

SU averaged seven hits per game in its four NCAA contests – batting .272 as a team – and getting at least one hit from all nine of its starters during the tournament.
 
Overall, Shippensburg finishes the year with 36 victories – the most in a single season in eight years. Additionally, Saturday's victory over Wesleyan marked the 1,000^th career victory for the Raiders in 37 years of Shippensburg University softball. SU reached the finals of the PSAC Tournament and also won two NCAA regional games for the first time since 2006.
 
"They fought the entire way through a very difficult conference season," Brookens said. "They got themselves in position to play in the conference tournament and played extremely well there. Yes, we didn't win it, but there's no doubt that everybody knew that Shippensburg University was there."
 
The season marks an end to the outstanding careers of the senior class: Estep, Lyons, Kirstin McClune and Rachel Shumway. Additionally, junior Jordie Darchicourt plans to graduate after the fall semester.
 
"I think from Day 1 we had that special group," Brookens said. "When these seniors were sophomores, and we brought in our large freshman class (now juniors), it clicked from Day 1. The bond they made from the first day that young group came in here, you could just tell that it would be OK and that everything was going to be good."
 
In 79 career games, Estep finishes her career with a 62-21 career record, 652 strikeouts and a 1.65 ERA. She concludes a storied run ranked second in school history for career strikeouts, third in victories, fifth in winning percentage and fifth in appearances.
 
Lyons, meanwhile, set the single-season school record for stolen bases by finishing the year with 32 after recording two steals in Sunday's games. The three-time Capital One Academic All-District performer finished her career with 56 stolen bases, second-most in school history behind current teammate Thompson, while totaling 122 hits, batting .319, recording 35 RBIs and scoring 79 runs.
 
McClune batted .257 in 97 career games (79 starts) with 14 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs and a .997 fielding percentage, while Shumway amassed five homers, 41 RBIs and a .422 career on-base percentage in 102 games.
 
"Every day I sit up there in my office knowing that I have no problems out here," Brookens said. "They did an outstanding job as a family. They spent more time together than possibly any group I've ever had."
 
Now, the Raiders look to next season having already recruited seven freshmen during the early signing period and returning a large group of veteran players that includes seven upcoming seniors – six of which were in the starting lineup of Sunday's decisive game.
 
"I'm truly going to miss these seniors, but I think with the class I have coming back that will be seniors next year, they've seen what it'll take to be that special group," Brookens said. "It'll now be their turn to do it with the large group of freshmen we have coming in."