SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team dropped a pair of games to rival Kutztown on Thursday as it opened its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division schedule, falling 3-0 and 3-1 to the Golden Bears on a damp, chilly afternoon at Robb Field.
 
Shippensburg (15-12, 0-2 PSAC East) totaled 11 hits on the day but stranded 12 runners on base over the two games. Freshman Emily Zaring paced the Raiders with three hits, going 3-for-3 with an RBI double in Game 2 that plated SU's lone run of the afternoon.
 
Kutztown (15-8, 2-0) rode the arm of Savannah Nierintz, who won both games from the circle in pitching back-to-back complete games. Nierintz threw 240 pitches in 14 innings of work, striking out 15 batters on the day to improve to 11-1 on the season.
 
Three Raiders totaled multiple hits on the day. In addition to Zaring's three-hit effort, freshman Micaela Ghanayem went 2-for-5 with a walk, while junior Tara Bicko was 2-for-6 and scored on a Zaring double. Seven Raiders in total had at least one hit, including an 11-pitch at-bat in Game 1 for freshman Kendall Geis that resulted in a single up the middle.
 
Junior Chloe Collins and sophomore Taryn Wilson earned the starts in the circle for the Raiders. Collins threw 5.1 innings in the opener, allowing three runs. Sophomore Julia Tosti got the final five outs of Game 1, striking out two. Wilson threw a complete game in the nightcap, striking out two.
 
Shippensburg hosts Millersville at 1 p.m. Saturday in a PSAC East doubleheader from Robb Field.