The Shippensburg University softball team took the first of two games Saturday as it split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader at Kutztown. SU won the first game, 2-1, before dropping the second game, 4-2.
 
SU (22-17, 5-5 PSAC East) used more outstanding pitching Saturday as sophomore Taryn Wilson led the way by pitching nine innings, including a complete game in Game 1, and allowing just one run. Overall, in 13 innings of work, the Raider pitching staff limited Kutztown to just eight hits in 45 at-bats (.178 team average).
 
The Raider offense totaled 13 hits on the day, scoring a pair of unearned runs in each game. Junior Tara Bicko and freshman Kayla Bonawitz both totaled three hits on the day while junior Anna Warfield, freshman Meghan Klee and junior Chloe Collins each had two hits. Collins's double was the only SU extra-base hit of the day.
 
Game 1
 
Wilson was fantastic in a complete-game effort as she limited the Golden Bears to just three hits, two walks and one run. She also struck out five batters while throwing 100 pitches.
 
The Raiders put their pair of runs together in the third when Bonawitz, Warfield and Bicko singled consecutively to load the bases with no outs. Following a fielder's choice that cut down Bonawitz at home, an error at third on a Collins ground ball allowed a pair of runs to score.
 
Kutztown scored their lone run on an RBI double in the fifth inning, but Wilson stranded the runner at second by inducing an inning-ending ground out. Wilson retired the side the sixth and worked around a two-out single in the seventh to complete her seventh win.
 
Game 2
 
Bicko singled to begin the second game and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Following a flyout, Klee grounded to shortstop where an error allowed Bicko to score. Klee moved to second on the throw home and she then scored on another error by the shortstop on a ball off the bat from junior Macy Luck to make it 2-0, Raiders.
 
The Raiders then loaded the bases in the second inning with no outs, forcing Kutztown to bring in Game 1 starting pitcher Savannah Nierintz. The Golden Bears ace used a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a foul out to escape the jam without allowing a run. The Kutztown offense then responded with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the second inning against the combination of sophomore Julia Tosti and sophomore Nicole Smith.
 
Smith went on to pitch 2.1 innings, allowing just an unearned run on two hits. Wilson then pitched two scoreless and hitless innings, but the Raider offense was unable to scratch across another run, despite totaling eight hits.