SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team swept its home finale against Lock Haven on Friday, winning 2-1 (eight innings) and 5-1 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader at Robb Field.
 
Shippensburg (29-17, 18-12 PSAC East) turned in 20 total hits through the doubleheader and used solid pitching and defense to pick up the wins.
 
Lock Haven (15-27, 9-23) was one out and a few inches away from winning Game 1. A two-out bloop in the bottom of the seventh inning by junior Caitlyn Martell fell down in front of the right fielder and ended up going for a triple, allowing senior pinch runner Katelyn Minney to head home and tie the score.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, a one-out, bases loaded single by junior Emilee Sullivan gave the Raiders a walk-off win for senior Alicia Ball, who struck out nine in her 16th complete game of the season. Ball allowed just five singles and three walks in eight innings.
 
Game 2 featured a dazzling performance in the circle by freshman Dani Hayward, who took a perfect game into the seventh inning. Hayward struck out five in her ninth complete game of the season and allowed just three singles in the seventh inning, which resulted in a lone earned run.  
 
In both of Shippensburg's doubleheader sweeps this week, neither Ball nor Hayward allowed an extra-base hit while six different Raiders contributed at least one RBI.
 
Overall, Martell led the Raiders with a team-high three hits and added two RBIs.
 
Entering the final two games of the regular season, Shippensburg currently sits in fourth place in the incredibly tight PSAC Eastern Division standings. Third through sixth place in the division is separated by just one game.
 
Shippensburg's regular season finale is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Kutztown.
 



Standings entering the final two games:
2. Kutztown * 20-10 (hosts Shippensburg Sunday)
3. Bloomsburg 18-12 (hosts West Chester Sunday)
4. Shippensburg 18-12 (at Kutztown Sunday)
5. Shepherd 17-12-1 (hosts Millersville Saturday)
6. West Chester 17-13 (at Bloomsburg Sunday)
 
Game 1: Ship 2, Lock Haven 1 (8 Innings)
 
Neither team got past second base through the first five innings. The top of the sixth inning saw Lock Haven load the bases with two outs, but a well-timed strikeout from Ball kept the game scoreless.
 
The top of the seventh saw LHU break through, opening with Madison Melius leading off with a walk and stealing second on an 0-2 pitch. On the pitch after the stolen base, Madison Hardy hit a single into right field that brought home Melius and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
 
Sullivan led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and was replaced on the base paths by Minney. A well-placed sacrifice bunt by freshman Gianna Cimino moved Minney to second. Two batters later, Martell delivered the decisive hit that forced extra innings.
 
After a momentum swinging double play in the top half of the eighth inning, sophomore Sarah Sabocsik (Hatfield, Pa./North Penn) was hit by a pitch to lead off the home half. With one out, back-to-back singles from junior Rilee Ehrlacher and Minney loaded the bases for Sullivan, who sent the first pitch of her at-bat into right field for the walk-off win.
 
Game 2: Ship 5, Lock Haven 1
 
The nightcap opened with a leadoff double from Martell in the bottom of the first. A sacrifice bunt from Hayward moved Martell to third and prefaced a two-out single from sophomore Brie Wilmot that gave the hosts a 1-0 lead.
 
Two more Raider runs scored in the bottom of the second. Sullivan was plunked in the back to start the inning and quickly got to third after a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt by senior Aryanna Briddell. Cimino hit an 0-2 pitch into center field to bring home Sullivan and make it 2-0, and that prompted Lock Haven to move right fielder Abby Robertson into the circle.  
 
Later in the inning, sophomore Emily Lafferty dropped down a  bunt single and two batters later, Hayward singled home Cimino to make it 3-0 after two.
 
SU added an insurance run in the fifth with an RBI-single from Lafferty and in the sixth with an RBI-single by Martell.
 
Lock Haven got its first base runner in the top of the seventh when Blaire Balestrini singled through the right side, ending Hayward's streak of 18 consecutive batters retired to start the game. The Bald Eagles used back-to-back singles with two outs, with the second coming in the final collegiate at bat by Bella Schmitt, to create the final 5-1 score.
 
Hayward needed just 92 pitches to improve to 11-5.