The Shippensburg University softball team extended its winning streak to four games on Thursday with a pair of victories in Florida, defeating Lake Erie, 5-1, and Wayne State (Neb.), 17-2, in action at the Auburndale Complex.
 
Shippensburg (7-4) cranked out 27 more hits, bringing its team season batting average to .348 through the first 11 games. Freshman Alicia Ball and redshirt-sophomore Maddie Uschock combined to allow just one run between them in the circle.
 
Freshman Emma Mackulin had a memorable day at the plate, going 6-for-7 over the course of the two games. She finished with three RBIs, two runs and reached base seven total times as she was also hit by a pitch.
 
Senior Morgan DeFeo remained torrid atop the Raider lineup by going 7-for-9 at the plate with three doubles, four RBIs, five runs, a stolen base, and her first career home run.  
 
Junior Hannah Marsteller had four more hits and three RBIs.
 
The Raiders are off Friday and will play two more games in Florida on Saturday before returning home, facing West Virginia Wesleyan and Ashland.
 
Shippensburg 5, Lake Erie 1
The Raiders took the lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out single by Marsteller that scored DeFeo. In the second, a DeFeo double and a Mackulin single made it 3-0 in Shippensburg's favor.
 
Shippensburg loaded the bases in the third but managed just one run – courtesy of a bases-loaded walk by freshman Katelyn Minney.
 
With the score 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, DeFeo came to the plate with one out. Playing her 107th career game, DeFeo deposited a pitch over the right-field fence for her first career home run that created the final scoring margin.
 
Ball threw a complete-game, allowing just three hits. The lone run against her came on a two-out double in the sixth. She walked three and hit two batters, but struck out 10 – including the side in the first inning.
 
DeFeo was 3-for-4 atop the order while Mackulin was 2-for-2 with a sacrifice and a hit by pitch. Marsteller was 2-for-4; sophomore Alyssa Nehlen was 2-for-3, and junior Taylor Radziewicz drew a walk and had two sacrifice bunts.
 
Shippensburg 17, Wayne State (Neb.) 2
The score was 3-2 in Shippensburg's favor entering the final inning before the Raiders promptly erupted for 14 runs in a frenzied final frame.
 
The Wildcats hit a two-out double and a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead, but the Raiders answered with two in the third on an RBI by sophomore Morgan Lindsay and a run scoring on a wild pitch. In the sixth, Radziewicz hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
 
Wayne State (3-16) brought in a relief pitcher to start the seventh inning and the Raiders responded with a walk, stolen base and single to preface a two-run single by Mackulin. A wild pitch, walk and a single loaded the bases and prompted a new relief pitcher for the Wildcats.
 
After a fielder's choice resulted in the first out being recorded at home, a wild pitch in the next at-bat brought home another run. A fielding error resulted in another run, and a two-run single by Minney made it 9-2 for the Raiders with still just one out.
 
SU kept getting on base, as a hit by pitch and four straight singles followed. Sophomore Taylor Myers hit an infield single to score a run; DeFeo singled home two and senior Lacey Hunter singled home another to make it 13-2.
 
Another relief pitcher entered and proceeded to give up a two-run double to Marsteller that made it 15-2. SU plated two more after a walk, one on a wild pitch and another on a passed ball, giving the Raiders 14 runs in the inning with just one out being recorded.
 
Uschock, who entered in relief in the bottom of the first inning after the home run, threw 6.1 innings for the win. Uschock scattered six singles, did not walk a batter, and struck out six in the victory.
 
DeFeo and Mackulin each went 4-for-5 atop the Raider order, combining for four RBIs and five runs.