STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team clashed once again with vaunted Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division rival Kutztown on Thursday, with the Golden Bears scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth to claim a 4-2 victory in action on a muggy afternoon at Creekview Park.
 
Shippensburg (33-20) junior Alicia Ball and Kutztown (34-22) junior Haley Gravish both weathered some first-inning struggles before settling into a pitcher's duel, with the score remaining 2-2 from the bottom of the third through the bottom of the sixth.
 
SU started the game by loading the bases with nobody out. A single by sophomore Caitlyn Martell was sandwiched between walks to seniors Taylor Myers and Morgan Lindsay.
 
A sacrifice fly by freshman Sarah Sabocsik gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead, and junior Katelyn Minney then drew a five-pitch walk to re-load the bases. Gravish worked out of trouble, getting a strikeout and a groundout to leave three on base.
 
KU scored twice in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hit. A walk, an error on a bunt, a groundout and another walk gave the Golden Bears the bases loaded with one out. Brianna Hughes then hit a grounder on which SU tried to get an out at home, but Bri Stocklin beat the throw home. After another fielder's choice resulted in the second out at home, a bases-loaded walk gave KU a 2-1 lead.
 
Sophomore Emilee Sullivan it a two-out single in the third that tied the game at 2-2, and an error on the play put two runners in scoring position. Gravish used a quick glove to then field a comebacker and end the threat. SU stranded six runners in the first three innings and 10 total in the game, as the Raiders also left the bases loaded in the fourth.
 
Prior to the sixth inning, Ball had induced weak contact and the Golden Bears had not yet hit a ball out of the infield. However, KU opened the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Kristin Geesey hit a 1-2 pitch to right field for a flyout, and Minney's throw resulted in a bang-bang play at the plate on which the runner was deemed safe, giving the Golden Bears a 3-2 lead. A two-out RBI-single padded the lead.
 
Gravish got the Raiders out in order in the seventh and finished the game retiring nine of the last 10 hitters she faced to improve to 20-10 on the season. She allowed five hits and struck out one.
 
Ball scattered six singles and struck out one. The two starting pitchers had to negotiate a tight zone and combined to issue 11 walks (seven by Gravish, four by Ball).
 
Lindsay drew walks in three of her four plate appearances. Freshman Emily Lafferty was the only Raider with multiple hits, as she singled twice.
 
Thursday's game was just the ninth time this season that the Raiders were held to two runs or less. SU fell to 0-6 on the season against Kutztown, with four of the Raider losses coming by two runs or less.
 
Shippensburg returns to action at 1:30 p.m. Friday against Bowie State in an elimination game. The winner of that game will face whomever loses in Friday's first game (winner's bracket game between Kutztown and host ESU) at 4 p.m. in another elimination game.