CLERMONT, Fla. – The Shippensburg University softball team used a hot start Thursday to grab a lead and hold off the Clippers of Concordia (N.Y.) College, posting an 8-5 victory in the team's final game at the National Training Center (NTC) Spring Games.
 
Shippensburg (5-11) and Concordia (4-3) combined for 13 runs and 14 hits through the first 2.5 innings of Thursday's game, but that was all the scoring there would be. SU did not get a hit after the third inning, while the Clippers managed just three hits over the final five frames.
 
Sophomore Chloe Collins achieved the pitching victory, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in 6.2 innings of relief with four strikeouts. Collins induced a double play with the bases loaded in the seventh to seal the win.
 
SU got RBIs in the opening inning from sophomore Eryn Caragein, freshman Maddie Schafer and Collins. In the second inning, the Raiders got an RBI-double from sophomore Tara Bicko, who eventually came around to score on a throwing error by the Concordia catcher.
 
Shippensburg added two more in the third inning as sophomore Maddie Mulhall was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and senior Briana Giovenco sent a rocket to left field that went for a sacrifice fly.
 
Bicko was 2-for-2 in the game with two walks and two runs scored. Freshman Courtney Cochran had a hit and two runs scored. Giovenco was 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base and a run scored. Six of the nine Raider starters had at least one hit in the game.
 
Shippensburg will be back in action at 5 p.m. tomorrow in Salem, Va. when the Raiders face Bowie State to begin three days at the West Virginia Wesleyan Tournament. SU will play two games on Saturday (4 p.m., 6 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m., 1 p.m.).