The Shippensburg University softball team came up short in its opening games of the season Saturday in North Carolina, falling 4-3 to host Catawba before dropping a neutral-site contest to Lees-McRae, 11-1 in six innings.
 
Shippensburg (0-2) managed 12 hits on the day, with senior leadoff hitter Taylor Myers providing five of them. Myers was 5-for-8 with a double and two runs scored. Sophomore Caitlyn Martell was 2-for-5 with an RBI-double and was walked twice (once intentionally).
 
The Raiders will be right back at it tomorrow with rematches against both teams, once again facing Catawba at 11 a.m. and Lees-McRae right after.
 
Catawba 4, Shippensburg 3
 
SU went toe-to-toe in the season opener with Catawba (6-5), a team whose early-season resume includes a split with No. 1-ranked North Georgia. The Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with Martell's RBI-double and an RBI-single by senior Morgan Lindsay.
 
The hosts struck for three runs in the third inning and took a 4-2 lead into the sixth. With two outs, sophomore Lindsey Haser singled home pinch runner Emily Lafferty to get the Raiders within one.
 
SU threatened in the seventh with two outs, as freshman Sarah Sabocsik singled and moved to second on an intentional walk to Martell, but the Indians got the final out to secure the win.
 
Junior Alicia Ball battled in her season-opening start, allowing four runs (three earned) in five innings. Ball walked five and struck out three while scattering eight hits.
 
Junior Katelyn Minney had a noteworthy relief appearance; she entered the game in the sixth inheriting the bases loaded with just one out. Minney struck out the first batter she faced before inducing a groundout to get the Raiders out of the jam unscathed.
 
Myers finished the game 3-for-4, while Haser was 2-for-3. Sabocsik had a pair of sacrifices in addition to her single.
 
Catawba did not have any extra-base hits in the game but did manage eight singles and eight walks. Alex Baquie improved to 5-3 with a complete-game victory, scattering eight hits and two walks while striking out five.
 
Lees-McRae 11, Shippensburg 1 (6 innings)
 
The Raiders fell behind 3-0 after one inning and 6-0 after three innings against the Bobcats and could not recover from the early deficit. SU managed just four hits – two by Myers (including a double), and singles by Martell and sophomore Rilee Ehrlacher.
 
Sophomore Kaira Zamadics got the start and pitched the first inning. Senior Maelynn Leber followed with 1.2 innings of relief. Minney came out of the bullpen in Game 2 as well, pitching 2.1 innings. Freshman Maddy Borowski pitched the sixth.
 
The teams combined for eight errors in the contest.
 
Lonna Addison got the win in relief for Lees-McRae, striking out nine in four innings while allowing just three hits, a walk and an unearned run. Allie Johnston was 3-for-4 with four RBIs.