SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team celebrated seniors Taryn Wilson and Jayci London on Sunday, but SU had its final home games soured by visiting East Stroudsburg, as the Warriors claimed 8-7 (eight innings) and 12-11 victories over the Raiders from Robb Field.
 
Shippensburg (24-20, 9-7 PSAC East) capped off another torrid day at the plate with 27 hits and striking out just three times in 76 plate appearances. Seven of the nine Raider starters had at least three hits in the doubleheader, led by freshman Morgan DeFeo going 5-for-8 with a double, walk, two RBIs and three runs.
 
East Stroudsburg (26-22, 8-8) had its own prolific day at the plate, however, slamming nine extra-base hits (including four home runs) to achieve its first-ever season series sweep of the Raiders. The Warriors totaled 24 hits and 10 walks and stole six bases on the day.
 
The doubleheader featured just five 1-2-3 half-innings. Runs were scored in 16 different half-innings. The only pitcher from either team not credited with any runs against them was sophomore Courtney Coy, who entered in relief in Game 2 and got three outs in the seventh. It was Coy's first pitching appearance since the opening weekend of the season back on February 3.  
 
Shippensburg held leads of 2-1 and 4-2 in Game 1, but the Warriors immediately equaled the score in the ensuing inning after the Raiders gained the advantage. SU trailed 6-4 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but Coy tied it with a two-run homer – her 27th extra-base hit of the season.
 
East Stroudsburg scored twice in the top of the eighth to take an 8-6 lead, but the Raiders nearly completed another comeback in the bottom of the frame. A leadoff single by junior Meghan Klee was followed by an RBI-double from freshman Hannah Johnson, and a sacrifice bunt put the tying run on third with one out. A pop-up resulted in the second out, but back-to-back walks loaded the bases before ESU got the final out.
 
A good example of the day's uniqueness could be found in ESU's Mikayla Pourby getting the save in Game 1 despite being the starter and throwing the first five innings. Pourby was replaced in the sixth by Mickayla Grow, but re-entered in the bottom of the eighth to get the final three outs and preserve a relief win for Grow.  
 
The visitors scored a run in the top of the first in Game 2 but left the bases loaded, and Shippensburg countered with a four-run bottom of the first that included an RBI-single by freshman Hannah Marsteller, a two-run single by freshman Lacey Hunter and an RBI-single by Klee.
 
All was eerily calm for the next two innings before East Stroudsburg scored four in the top of the fourth, using a pair of home runs to take a 5-4 lead. The Raiders countered with five in the bottom of the fourth – highlighted by a three-run homer by Marsteller, to take a 9-5 lead. Junior Kayla Bonawitz and Coy hit RBI-singles in the inning to precede Marsteller's round-tripper.
 
ESU stayed in the game by scoring three runs in the top of the fifth, getting within 9-8. A two-run single by Marsteller in the bottom of the sixth gave her six RBIs in the game and made it 11-8 in SU's favor.
 
In their final at-bat, the Warriors scored four times to ultimately prevail. A leadoff walk, three straight hits, and an error flipped the score to 12-11 in favor of the visitors. SU went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh.  
 
Wilson pitched in both games, striking out 12 over 9.1 innings of work. She started Game 1. Freshman Tressa Kagarise also pitched in both games; she started Game 2, and finished the day with three strikeouts.
 
Overall on the day, Johnson was 4-for-8 with three RBIs. Marsteller had four hits – including three in Game 2. Klee, Hunter, Coy and Bonawitz all finished with three hits.
 
For the weekend, in four games, Shippensburg hit .382 and scored 39 runs. DeFeo was 10-for-17 at the plate, while Marsteller totaled eight hits and 13 RBIs. Johnson had seven hits and seven RBIs.
 
Marsteller's nine home runs match the amount that Shippensburg hit as a team last season. It is the most by a Raider in a single season since Taylor Weisman (12) and Taylor Pattillo (10) in 2014. Her 41 RBIs are the most ever by an SU freshman in a single season.
 
Shippensburg now prepare for the PSAC Tournament. The Raiders, the East's No. 2 seed, will play their first game at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Quakertown, Pa. against the Central Division's No. 2 seed – either Lock Haven or Mansfield. The season-ending doubleheader between the two teams was postponed to Monday.