CLERMONT, Fla. – The Shippensburg University softball team began the 2015 season with victories over Georgian Court and Northwood (Mich.), getting 17 hits from its No. 2 through No. 5 spots in the batting order and gutsy complete-game pitching performances from senior Liz Parkins and junior Quincy Lewis.
 
Shippensburg (2-0) cranked out 25 hits Saturday, including five each from senior Maddie Justice and junior Taylor Pattillo. Junior Briana Giovenco had four hits, including two home runs and the game-winning single in Game 2, while senior Taylor Weisman had a Game 1 home run and two hits in Game 2.
 
Senior Tyler Thompson worked three walks, stole three bases and scored twice.
 
Shippensburg loses an hour of sleep overnight before waking up early Sunday to play Minnesota State Mankato at 9 a.m. and Urbana at 11 a.m.
 
Shippensburg 9, Georgian Court 4
 
Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the first, SU got two runs right back in the bottom half of the inning. Thompson led off with a walk and quick steal of second. Justice singled her home and went to second on the throw; she scored two batters later after a Pattillo single and Weisman sacrifice fly.
 
With two outs in the second, Justice sent an 0-2 pitch into short right field to score freshman Tiffany Ludke and junior Taylor Llewellyn.  
 
Giovenco hit the first of her two home runs in the fourth inning, giving SU a 6-3 lead. She homered to lead off the sixth, and Weisman homered two batters later. Both of the sixth-inning home runs were line drives over the right-field fence.
 
Llewellyn was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, while freshman Anna Warfield (Damascus, Md./Damascus) debuted with a single in four at-bats. Ludke was 2-for-3.
 
Parkins overcame a tough first inning for the complete-game win. She allowed four runs on 10 hits, striking out three and not allowing a walk.  
 
Shippensburg 3, Northwood 2
 
SU used a quick start off Northwood starter Kayla Gust to get an early 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2. Justice doubled with one out and then came home when Giovenco doubled in the next at-bat. Pattillo then hit a ball through the left side to put runners on the corners. With two outs, senior Jessie Trammell worked a 10-pitch at-bat and singled into right field, plating Giovenco.
 
Freshman Tara Bicko singled in her first collegiate at-bat to load the bases, but with two outs, Northwood brought in pitcher Vanessa Ewing to get out of the bases-loaded jam.
 
Northwood loaded the bases in the bottom of the first on a hit batter and two walks, but Lewis got a strikeout on the eighth pitch of an at-bat with Andria Gietl to escape the jam.
 
Lewis worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out pickle in the fourth by getting a bloop out to Weisman on a nice diving catch on a low liner, a strikeout and a comebacker. The Timberwolves did eventually tie the game, however, with single runs in the third and fifth inning.

Northwood also got a sterling relief performance from Ewing, who, despite the loss, struck out 13 batters in 6.1 innings. Ewing allowed a run on five hits.
 
In the top of the seventh, Thompson worked a walk and stole second on the first pitch of Justice's ensuing at-bat. With one out, Giovenco slammed a ball through the right side to plate Thompson.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Northwood loaded the bases with one out on a hard chop off Lewis's glove that went for an infield single, followed by a fielding error and a fielder's choice in which an attempt on the lead base runner was made too late. Undaunted, Lewis induced a comebacker and a popout to get her first win as a Raider, scattering 10 hits in seven innings while striking out two.
 
Justice, Giovenco, Pattillo and Weisman all had two hits for Shippensburg in Game 2. Thompson drew both of SU's walks and stole a base each time she reached.