The Shippensburg University softball team went toe-to-toe with No. 13 East Stroudsburg on a sunny Sunday at Creekview Park and nearly ended the day with a sweep, but ultimately settled for a split of its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader with the Warriors.
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Shippensburg (14-6, 3-3 PSAC East) won the opener in eight innings, 3-2, while East Stroudsburg (22-6, 4-2) scored six times in the final three innings in Game 2 to rally for a walk-off 6-5 win.
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Despite the sting of the Game 2 setback, the Raiders can still claim an even conference record for the week despite having played road doubleheaders at Shepherd, at Bloomsburg and at East Stroudsburg over the course of the last six days. SU faced some of the toughest pitchers in the Atlantic Region in Shepherd's Madelayne Ruffner, Bloomsburg's Callie Sowers, and ESU's Paige Zigmund and Sarah Davenport.
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Junior
Alicia Ball was extraordinary in Game 1, pitching eight innings in a start for just the second time in her career. Ball gave up two unearned runs in a complete-game effort to improve to 8-1 on the season. She scattered five walks and six singles yet struck out eight – marking the fifth time in 10 starts this season that she has struck out eight or more batters.
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Freshman
Madalyn Dyer put forth a dynamic Game 2 start, holding the Warriors scoreless through the first four innings and lasting into the sixth inning to mark the longest outing of her young career. Dyer completed five innings, allowing four runs (two earned) and striking out six – one short of her career high.
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Freshman
Brie Wilmot was 5-for-8 on the day, with her biggest at-bat being a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning in Game 1 that proved to be the game-winning hit. She also had an RBI-single in the opener and an RBI fielder's choice in the nightcap.
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SU hit three home runs on the day – ESU had allowed only six all season entering Sunday. Sophomore
Caitlyn Martell opened the scoring for the Raiders in Game 1 with a solo home run, and senior
Alyssa Nehlen delivered a solo shot in Game 2 – just her third collegiate round tripper.
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Seven Raiders finished the day with multiple hits, including freshman
Sarah Sabocsik, who reached base five times overall. Sabocsik was 2-for-5 with an RBI-triple and three walks – one with the bases loaded.
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ESU aces Zigmund and Davenport are arguably the top pitching tandem in the Atlantic Region, and the Raiders had to face the duo in all 15 innings. Entering Sunday, through 144 innings, Zigmund and Davenport had a combined 1.45 ERA with 190 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .196 batting average.
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SU hit .288 as a team, totaling 17 hits and drawing seven walks. The Raiders had four extra-base hits against Davenport, who had only allowed 12 all season through her first 62 innings. The Raiders also drew five walks against Zigmund, who had only issued 12 free passes all season long through her first 82 innings.
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Zigmund started both games and pitched just five innings total, allowing five runs on nine hits. Davenport, a first-year pitcher from New Jersey, continued her excellent debut season with 14 strikeouts in 10 innings, allowing nine hits. She managed to get the pitching decision in both games, finishing the day with a 1-1 record.
ESU, the reigning Atlantic Region Champions, got a sixth-inning single and a seventh-inning walkoff RBI-single from Denva Shaw-Tait to cap its Game 2 rally. Shannon Edelman's two-run home run was also a key to the comeback win.Â
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Shippensburg has another busy week upcoming, with three more doubleheaders. SU hosts Lock Haven at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Claudia Robb Field.
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