Gallery: (4-13-2024) 2024 Softball vs. East Stroudsburg
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Senior catcher
Morgan Lindsay hit a Game 1 walk-off solo home run off Sarah Davenport, the nation's leader in strikeouts per seven innings, and the Shippensburg University softball team used a four-run first inning in Game 2 to key a doubleheader sweep of No. 15 East Stroudsburg, 3-2 and 6-2, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division action from windy Robb Field.
Shippensburg (27-9, 14-6 PSAC East) trailed 2-0 in Game 1 but scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh for the come-from-behind win. Sophomore
Caitlyn Martell and freshman
Sarah Sabocsik each hit two-run homers in the first inning of the nightcap to continue the momentum in favor of the Raiders.
East Stroudsburg (34-10, 16-6 PSAC East) got a two-run double from Katie Master in the fourth inning of the opener to take the lead, but junior
Alicia Ball was able to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard further. ESU had its chances but stranded 12 runners on base, as Ball scattered seven hits, three walks and three hit batters while striking out six.
SU got its first run back with a two-out error by the ESU right fielder that scored senior
Alyssa Nehlen. In the sixth, senior
Taylor Myers tied it with a two-out single up the middle that plated freshman
Emily Lafferty. Davenport came out of the bullpen to end the sixth but allowed Lindsay's home run three pitches into the bottom of the seventh to end the opener.
Paige Zigmund started Game 1 for ESU, striking out nine in 5.2 innings in a no-decision. Zigmund then got the start in Game 2 as well, yielding five runs in the first two innings before being relieved by Davenport. Junior
Katelyn Minney doubled and scored on an RBI-single in the second to make it 5-0 Raiders.
Davenport kept her team in the game, striking out nine in four innings, with the only run against her being a Minney solo home run in the sixth. Minney entered Game 2 having gone 0-for-9 with six strikeouts against East Stroudsburg this season but finished it with the double off Zigmund and the home run off Davenport.
The pitching star of Game 2 was freshman
Madalyn Dyer, who threw a complete game to improve to 8-2. Dyer allowed two runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out nine.
In their four starts against the Warriors this season, Ball and Dyer combined to allow just five earned runs in 27 innings (1.40 ERA) while striking out 29 batters.
Sabocsik reached base in five of her six plate appearances on the day, going for 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and three walks. In four games against ESU this season, Sabocsik posted a .714 on-base percentage, going 4-for-8 with a home run, triple, four RBI and six walks without striking out once.
Lindsay reached base five times on the day, going 3-for-5 with the solo home run and two walks. Myers added four more hits to her season ledger.
With the exception of two errors in the fourth inning of Game 1, Shippensburg played strong defense. Nehlen made a diving stop at second base for a pivotal groundout in Game 1, and Martell had a sensational diving play in Game 2 for a fielder's choice. Myers also had an outfield assist in the top of the seventh in Game 1.
Shippensburg will host Bloomsburg at noon Sunday at Robb Field. The Huskies, who run-ruled the Warriors in a split earlier this week, swept Shepherd on Saturday by scores of 8-6 and 5-1.
