SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team ran the gamut of emotions Friday on a frigid and windy afternoon at Robb Field, grabbing a lead in Game 1 against No. 15 West Chester but ultimately dropping both games of a doubleheader to the Golden Rams in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play.
 
Shippensburg (12-19, 2-6 PSAC East) dropped Game 1 by a 15-5 score in six innings. West Chester (35-3, 8-0) also won Game 2, 19-0, in five innings.
 
SU fell behind in Game 1 by a 4-0 score after one-half inning of play. However, freshman Nicole Smith settled in after a tough opening frame and blanked West Chester for four straight innings. The Raiders got one run back in the third inning on an RBI-single by sophomore Chloe Collins.
 
Shippensburg took the lead with four runs in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and one out, sophomore Macy Luck lined a ball to left field that hit off the outfielder's glove and rolled toward the wall. Luck was credited with a sacrifice fly, and two runs scored on the play. Another run then scored on a wild pitch, and freshman Maddie Schafer hit a sacrifice fly to plate Luck and give SU a 5-4 lead through five innings.
 
However, the entire complexion of the day changed two batters into the sixth inning. After a leadoff double, WCU got a single on a ball hit into no-man's land behind second base. On the play, two SU fielders had a scary collision that led to a lengthy injury delay.
 
The play was an emotional whirlwind for the Raiders, and it ultimately left Smith as the team's only remaining option in the circle. SU's three other pitchers were all unable to throw due to injury.
 
It resulted in a lot of pressure for Smith, who just one week ago had thrown a total of two innings in her collegiate career. This past Saturday, Smith threw 8.2 innings in winning two games at East Stroudsburg, before this Wednesday, when she recorded a 137-pitch, eight-inning victory against Shepherd. Smith threw 142 pitches in Friday's Game 1 loss, as the Golden Rams ultimately turned the tides with an 11-run sixth inning.
 
For Game 2, Smith had to start in the circle. She threw the first two innings. Sophomore Taylor Dorman, an outfielder and pinch runner for the Raiders, was pressed into relief. Dorman, pitching for the first time since well back into high school, worked the third and fourth innings. Smith had to re-enter in the fifth to get the final three outs.
 
In addition to SU's valiant pitching efforts, and the downright frigid weather conditions of the day, SU got 12 hits at the plate. Schafer and sophomore Tara Bicko each had three hits in the doubleheader. Sophomore Anna Warfield had two hits and a walk.
   
Senior Taylor Pattillo did not have a hit on the day, but she did draw four walks. Pattillo drew three walks in Game 1 – a single-game career high. This season, Pattillo has drawn a career-high 11 walks through 31 games.
 
Shippensburg will next play on Sunday, as the Raiders are scheduled to host Kutztown at 1 p.m. from Robb Field. The team will be holding its annual "Strike Out Cancer" event at Sunday's doubleheader, raising funds and awareness for breast cancer research.