The Shippensburg University softball team concluded its regular season by falling to Kutztown in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on Monday afternoon, with a score of 5-2 in the opener and 12-7 in Game 2 on a windy day at North Campus Field.
 
Shippensburg (27-18, 19-13 PSAC East) struggled to find a pitching rhythm, as Kutztown (27-22, 21-10) came out swinging, totaling double digit hits in both games. The Raiders rallied in Game 1 but were unable to get more than two runs. In Game 2, the Raiders had two leads but were unable to keep them as the Golden Bears scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Graduate Hannah Marsteller broke the school record for career walks as she drew two walks in Game 2 and surpassed Brenna Eck's 88 career walks. Marsteller also had two hits and two RBIs.
 
Junior Morgan Lindsay had two hits and two RBIs, while fellow junior Alyssa Nehlen went 3-for-7 with three RBIs. Freshman Caitlyn Martell had two hits, while fellow freshman Emilee Sullivan added two RBIs.
 
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Raiders get the fourth seed in the East and will face the No. 5 seed in the West, Gannon, on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Quakertown.
 
Game 1: Kutztown 5, Shippensburg 2  
 
Kutztown scored four runs in the first three innings, but the Raiders were able to reduce the deficit to two runs after an RBI single by Lindsay to center field, followed by a ground out RBI by Nehlen in the top of the fourth inning. The Golden Bears added one run in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Junior Maelynn Leber started in the circle and threw 2.1 innings. Freshman Kaira Zamadics (Allentown, Pa./Northampton Area) came in as the relief pitcher and threw 3.2 innings and had four strikeouts.
 
Game 2: Kutztown 12, Shippensburg 7   
 
Shippensburg started off well in the first inning with a single by Martell and a walk by Marsteller to have two runners on base. Lindsay ripped a single up the middle to bring Martell home, followed by a single by Nehlen to the same spot to bring Marsteller home. SU added two extra runs after a two-run double by Marsteller to left center in the top of the second to take a 4-0 lead.
 
Kutztown scored a run in the bottom of the second and tied the game in the bottom of the third with a two-run single. Marsteller drew another walk in the fifth inning and came home after an RBI single by Nehlen. With one out, the Raiders loaded the bases, and Sullivan hit a single up the middle to bring two runners home and a 7-4 lead.
 
The bottom of the fifth was the turnaround for the Raiders as Kutztown scored seven runs and added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 12-7 lead.
 
Senior Emma Flattery started in the circle and threw 2.0 innings. Zamadics came in as a relief pitcher and threw one inning and had one strikeout. Senior Hanna Phillips came in and threw 1.1 innings and had a strikeout. Leber then came in and threw 0.1 innings, and sophomore Alicia Ball finished it up in the circle and threw 1.1 innings.