SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team wrapped up a successful 10-game homestand on Saturday afternoon by picking up a pair of hard-fought wins against Pace, taking both games by a score of 4-3 on a windy day at Robb Field.
 
Shippensburg (11-3) mounted late rallies in both games to edge Pace (3-3) and post victories in nine of its 10 games on the homestand. SU was out-hit on the day 16-10 and struck out 16 times but made the most of its opportunities when able.  
 
Freshman Brie Wilmot had a team-high three hits on the day, while sophomore Emilee Sullivan and senior Taylor Myers were the only other Raiders with multiple hits on the day. Junior Katelyn Minney drew three of SU's four walks in the doubleheader.
 
Shippensburg will open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division play at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Shepherd.
 
Game One (4-3)
 
Game 1 was a rematch of last year's series opener that was a pitcher's duel between SU junior Alicia Ball and Pace junior Gisselle Garcia that had only four combined hits.
 
The Setters opened the scoring in the top of the third inning with two outs when Raelle Gorman hit a single to shortstop, advancing Brianna Shea to third and Riley Jenkins home for an early 1-0 lead.
 
The play was initially ruled an out, but after an umpire conference, Gorman was deemed safe. After the reversal, it was first deemed that both runners were allowed to score, making it 2-0 Pace. After a conversation between SU head coach Alison Van Scyoc and the umpires, it was decided that Shea would be put back on third base and only one run would score due to the play being deemed dead at the point of the original out call. Yet another lengthy discussion ensued, and at its conclusion, Pace head coach Claudia Stabile announced that the Setters would be playing the remainder of the game under protest.
 
In the top of the fifth, after a Jenkins double to left center, Shea singled up the middle to bring her home and extend the lead for the visitor to 2-0.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Sullivan doubled to left center on the first pitch to open the inning for the Raiders. Senior Maelynn Leber singled up the middle to advance Sullivan to third, and freshman Emily Lafferty was installed as a pinch runner for Leber and promptly stole second. Minney walked, loading the bases.
 
Myers then hit a 1-1 pitch over the left fielder for a double to clear the bases and give SU a 3-2 lead. She was tagged out after getting caught between second and third base on the play.
 
Pace answered in the top of the sixth, with leadoff hitter Kaylee Matsuda singling through the right side to advance Layla Michelson home to even the score at 3-3. Ball escaped further trouble and stranded two runners in scoring position with an inning-ending groundout.
 
SU responded right back in the bottom of the sixth after senior Morgan Lindsay hit a homerun into left field for the go-ahead run.
 
Three groundouts in the top of the seventh gave Shippensburg the 4-3 win.
 
Ball pitched a complete game, garnering five strikeouts on the day while walking five and allowing five hits to pick up her sixth win of the season.
 
Garcia struck out 12 in a complete-game effort. In her two starts against the Raiders over the last two seasons, she has struck out 19 in 12 innings.
 
Game 2 (4-3)
 
Pace opened the scoring in Game 2 in the top of the third inning with Shea hitting a two-run home run to left-center to give the Setters a 2-0 lead. In the top of the fourth, Shea singled through the right side, advancing Alexa Borino home to extend the Pace lead to 3-0.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Wilmot beat out an infield single to record the Raiders' first hit of Game 2. Sullivan hit the next pitch into center field for another single, advancing pinch runner Lafferty to second.
 
Setter starter Anna Acevedo, who had cruised through the first four innings, proceeded to hit each of the next three batters with pitches, which gave the Raiders two runs. Senior Alyssa Nehlen, Myers and sophomore Caitlyn Martell were plunked to cut the lead to 3-2.
 
The bottom of the sixth started with freshman Sarah Sabocsik earning a walk. Wilmot singled through the left side to advance Sabocsik to second. Sullivan then laid down a sacrifice bunt that fell in front of relief pitcher Lauren Belles, who then threw the ball away in an effort to get the out at first. The misplay allowed Sabocsik to come all the way home and Wilmot to get to third, but no further damage was done.  
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Myers led off with a 20-foot single up the third-base line to get things going. After a fielder's choice eliminated Myers, Lindsay proceeded to hit into a fielder's choice by the Setter middle infielders botched the exchange at second base, allowing Martell to slide in safe because of the error.
 
One pitch later, Wilmot crushed a single to left field that got Martell home, giving the Raiders the walk-off win.
 
Shippensburg used four pitchers in Game 2. Sophomore Kaira Zamadics returned from injury to make the start in the circle and threw 2.2 innings. Freshman Madalyn Dyer got three outs before being replaced in the fourth by Leber, who threw 2.1 shutout innings of relief.
 
Minney got the win, entering one batter into the seventh and getting the final three outs. She improved to 3-0.
 
Acevedo had a no-decision, while Belles was the hard-luck loser by allowing two unearned runs over 2.0 innings of relief.