Gallery: (5-8-2025) 2025 Softball vs. WCU (NCAA Regionals)
STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- The No. 4 seed Shippensburg University softball team survived and remained in the winner's bracket Thursday afternoon in a thrilling NCAA Atlantic Regional opening game, taking down No. 5 seed West Chester, 4-3, at soggy Creekview Park.
The first NCAA tournament game between the two storied programs featured nearly everything it could have: ranging from multiple weather delays for both lightning and rain, a game-tying rally, and a dramatic walk-off home run from sophomore
Brie Wilmot in the bottom of the seventh inning that was the culmination of a nearly nine-hour day at the field. The game itself took approximately 5 ½ hours to complete.
Shippensburg (32-20) registered a total of nine hits from six hitters while holding West Chester (32-18) to just four total hits. Walks went in the favor of the Golden Rams, working five walks to the Raiders' one.
Four Raiders each tallied an RBI on the day, highlighted by Wilmot's towering two-out, two-strike blast in the bottom of seventh that clinched the SU victory. Sophomore
Sarah Sabocsik, junior
Emilee Sullivan, and senior
Katelyn Minney also contributed RBIs, with each also tallying a team-high two hits.
Senior
Alicia Ball pitched the complete game for SU, getting the win and improving to 12-12 on the season. Ball struck out four batters while scattering four hits, five walks, and three runs.
The Raiders got on the board first in the bottom of the third inning, starting with a hit by pitch from senior
Aryanna Briddell and a bunt single from Minney. Two straight outs brought Sabocsik to the plate, where she sent the first pitch into center field for an RBI single, bringing home sophomore pinch-runner
Ryan Morse.
Shippensburg added a second run in the fourth, with Sullivan hitting a single to the shortstop to get a runner on base. Freshman
Dani Hayward then reached on a fielding error, moving Sullivan into scoring position. A Minney single through the left side then gave Sullivan enough time to race home and plate the run, 2-0.
Back-to-back hits opened the bottom of the fifth, with a leadoff single from junior
Rilee Ehrlacher and a double into right field by Sabocsik. Two consecutive outs brought Sullivan to the plate. First pitch-swinging, Sullivan delivered an infield single to drive in Ehrlacher to extend the Raider lead.
The Golden Rams rallied all the way back with three two-out runs in the top of the sixth. After a leadoff single, Ball retired the next two batters, but WCU then worked a walk and a single to load the bases. A well-timed hit into left center from Lauryn Kane cleared the bases for a three RBI double, tying the score at 3-3.
After the third delay paused the game in the top of the seventh inning, play resumed with the Raider defense getting a fielder's choice and a strikeout to send the game into the bottom half of the frame, setting the stage for Wilmot's dramatic walk-off blast.
Shippensburg moves on to face No. 1 seed East Stroudsburg in the winners bracket of the regional pod, with the first pitch tentatively set for 11 a.m. tomorrow.
