Gallery: (5-10-2025) 2025 SB vs. ESU (NCAA Regional) 5.10.25
STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The No. 4 seed Shippensburg University softball team advanced to the 2025 NCAA Division II Atlantic Super Regionals on Saturday after completing a rousing comeback victory over No. 1 seed and No. 10-ranked East Stroudsburg, 10-5, at sunny Creekview Park.
Shippensburg (34-20) trailed 5-1 through five innings but rallied for nine unanswered runs over the final two frames to defeat East Stroudsburg (48-12-1) and advance to its first-ever Super Regional since the current postseason format was adopted in 2009.
With both starting pitchers having logged a lot of innings over the last three days – senior
Alicia Ball was making her third start and ESU's Sarah Davenport her fourth – Saturday's game inevitably became a battle of the bullpens.
Davenport, who nearly no-hit West Chester in an elimination game preceding the matchup with the Raiders, was lifted from the game after giving up a single to start the sixth, and the SU offense immediately tagged ESU reliever Abbie Landrum with six runs on six hits.
Four consecutive Raiders reached base against Landrum, including an RBI-single from freshman
Gianna Cimino and a bases-loaded walk drawn by senior
Aryanna Briddell (Millsboro, Del./Sussex Central).
An RBI fielder's choice from senior
Katelyn Minney kept the rally train moving, and junior
Rilee Ehrlacher completed the SU comeback with a game-tying RBI single up the middle, 5-5.
Sophomore
Sarah Sabocsik then delivered the big blow, a two-run double, to give the Raiders the lead, 7-5. Sophomore
Brie Wilmot, the 10th Raider to bat in the frame, added an RBI groundout to make it 8-5.
Shippensburg added an RBI double from Briddell and an additional unearned run in the top of the seventh off a second ESU reliever to further widen its lead.
While the ESU bullpen struggled, freshman
Dani Hayward was up to the task, holding the Warrior bats to just two hits over three innings to pick up the win in relief. She struck out four and did not walk anyone.
Ball pitched valiantly through four innings, scattering five hits and all five runs charged to her line were unearned.
Cimino contributed a team-best three hits along with two runs scored and an RBI. Sabocsik finished 2-for-4 at the dish with three driven in, while Erhlacher was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
All nine Raider starters had at least one hit, including four players who had multiple hits.
Shippensburg will now await the results of the Kutztown sub-regional on Sunday to see where it will play next week. The No. 2-seeded Golden Bears will need to win twice on their home field to advance to face the Raiders, while No. 6 seed Bloomsburg needs just one victory to advance.
The Atlantic Super Regional will take place Thursday and Friday.
Regional Notes: In three NCAA Tournament games, Shippensburg totaled 19 runs on 35 hits (30 singles, four doubles and a home run), batting .354 as a team.
