SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team dropped a pair of non-conference games to Wilmington (Del.) on a sunny but frigid Friday afternoon, with the Wildcats claiming victories by scores of 5-3 and 3-2 in action from Robb Field.
 
Shippensburg (9-7) out-hit Wilmington (11-5) on the day, 11-9, but the Raiders committed seven errors compared to just two for the visitors. All three of the runs allowed by SU in Game 2 were of the unearned variety.
 
Senior catcher Macy Luck paced the Raiders offensively by reaching base four times – she was 2-for-2 with two doubles and a walk in the opening game. Sophomores Kayla Bonawitz and Kendall Geis each had two hits on the day, while seniors Tara Bicko and Chloe Collins hit home runs in Game 2.
 
Junior Taryn Wilson earned the Game 1 start, yielding five runs on seven hits while striking out eight hitters. Collins gave up just two hits in Game 2 but walked six while striking out two.
 
Shippensburg travels Sunday to face the University of the Sciences in a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Philadelphia.
 
Game 1: Wilmington 5, Shippensburg 3
 
Shippensburg took a 1-0 lead in the opener when Bonawitz delivered a two-out single through the left side in the bottom of the third inning to plate Luck, who led off the inning with a double.
 
Wilmington answered immediately in the top of the fourth, getting a leadoff double, a one-out single, and then a three-run home run by Lexi Baughman. WU added two more in the seventh on a pair of RBI-singles.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Raiders scored twice and brought the winning run to the plate before the final out was recorded. With one out, SU got back-to-back singles by freshman Courtney Coy and Geis and then a walk from Luck to load the bases.  
 
Sophomore Emily Zaring entered as a pinch hitter and delivered – ripping a bouncer through the middle to score pinch runners Maddie McConnell and Katie Wise. A fielder's choice and a bang-bang play on a ground ball ended the game.
 
Game 2: Wilmington 3, Shippensburg 2
 
The Wildcats scored all of their Game 2 runs in the second inning. A leadoff walk and a pair of errors by Collins put two runners into scoring position with no outs. SU got the first out by throwing home on a bunt, but the Wildcats then smacked an RBI-single to make it 1-0. With two outs, a bloop went into the wind and fell between multiple infielders to score two more runs.
 
Bicko crushed a home run in the third inning, and Collins launched a ball into orbit in the sixth inning for both of SU's runs in the nightcap. Wilmington starter Makayla McCarthy needed just five pitches to retire the side in the seventh for the win.