The Shippensburg University softball team dropped both games of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader at Kutztown on Saturday, falling by scores of 4-2 and 5-3 on a sunny afternoon at North Campus Field.
Shippensburg (18-14, 6-6 PSAC East) moved to .500 in the PSAC Eastern Division, maintaining a three-game lead on the third and final playoff spot in the division with one week of conference games remaining.
Kutztown (14-19, 3-11) salvaged a chance to remain in the playoff race, with East Stroudsburg (11-21, 3-9) sitting currently in fourth place. West Chester (32-11, 12-2) and Millersville (21-14, 8-4) have clinched spots in the PSAC Tournament, but all of the Eastern Division seeds are still to be determined.
The Raider bats managed just one extra-base hit on the day – a double by senior
Tara Bicko – while yielding three to Kutztown from the circle. Bicko led the Raider offense by reaching base five times in the doubleheader, recording four hits and an RBI, drawing a walk and scoring two runs.
Sophomore
Kayla Bonawitz added three more hits to her impressive season total, which now sits at 45 through 32 games. Fellow sophomore
Kendall Geis reached base three times on the day, cracking two singles to go along with a walk.
Junior
Taryn Wilson suffered the loss in Game 1, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out six in a complete-game effort. Freshman
Courtney Coy took the Game 2 loss in the circle, allowing five runs (one earned) on seven hits while striking out one in a complete-game effort.
SU had a rough day in the field, committing eight errors over the course of the two games. Four of the five runs scored by KU in the nightcap were unearned, while both of the Raider runs in the opener were unearned as the host Golden Bears committed two errors on the day.
Saturday's doubleheader results in a season series split with Kutztown. SU has split its season series with West Chester and Kutztown. The Raiders have split doubleheaders with Millersville and East Stroudsburg thus far, and will face each team once more next weekend to complete the regular season.
On Sunday, SU will host Pittsburgh-Johnstown in a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m. from Robb Field.
