SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University softball team nearly completed a late comeback in Game 2 against IUP on Saturday but had to settle for a split with the Crimson Hawks in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover doubleheader. SU won Game 1, 6-1, and IUP won Game 2, 6-5 on a sunny but breezy day at Robb Field.

Shippensburg (22-14) totaled 20 hits in the doubleheader while IUP (14-12) totaled 17 hits. All nine Raider starters had at least one hit in the doubleheader including three hits from senior Morgan DeFeo, freshman Katelyn Minney, and senior Lacey Hunter.  Minney reached base four times, including a double and a triple, while Hunter had two doubles and a triple – both players each had two RBIs. Sophomore Maelynn Leber had three RBIs.
 
Freshman Alicia Ball started in the circle for the Raiders in Game 1 and threw 2.1 innings in Game 2. She allowed three runs (two were unearned) and struck out 10 Crimson Hawks over the course of the doubleheader. Sophomore Emma Flattery came in as a relief pitcher in Game 2 and threw 4.1 innings and struck out five.

Shippensburg will host Pitt-Johnstown at 2 p.m. Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader at Robb Field.
 
Game 1: Shippensburg 6, IUP 1
 
Game 1 was the battle of the current PSAC Eastern Division (Ball) and Western Division (IUP's Bella Bucy) Pitchers of the Week. IUP struck first with one run in the first but it was short lived as the Raiders scored two runs off a throwing error by Bucy.
 
SU scored two more runs in the bottom of the third. DeFeo doubled to right field and scored on a single through the left side by junior Hannah Marsteller. Minney then delivered an RBI-double to left center that gave the Raiders a 4-1 lead.
 
In the next inning, Hunter tripled to left field and scored on a single through the left side by sophomore Taylor Myers. The Raiders scored in the fifth inning off an RBI-groundout by Leber.
 
Ball struck out seven Crimson Hawks and allowed one run on seven hits in pitching her ninth complete game of the season. Bucy struck out two Raiders and allowed six runs on 10 hits.
 
Game 2: IUP 6, Shippensburg 5
 
IUP took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a three-run home run by Renee Wall. The Raiders were looking to respond and did in the bottom of the second as Minney tripled to right field and scored on a single to left field by Leber. SU tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, it loaded the bases (Minney reached on an error, followed by singles by Leber and freshman Morgan Brumbaugh and got a two-run double up the middle by Hunter.
 
The Crimson Hawks responded in the top of the fifth with an RBI-triple by Wall to take a 4-3 lead. The Raiders could not take advantage of having the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning. IUP took advantage of a Raider error and an RBI-single to left center by reigning PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Week Joelle Snyder to take a 6-3 lead.
 
The Raiders tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh inning and made it close A single to shortstop by DeFeo and a walk by Lindsay led to an RBI-single to left field by Minney. With two runners on base, SU scored one run off a sacrifice fly to center field by Leber to reduce the deficit to one run. With a full count, sophomore Alyssa Nehlen lined out to the pitcher and gave IUP the 6-5 victory.