Shippensburg University Athletics

 

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University softball team concluded its 2026 season on Friday with a pair of NCAA Atlantic Regional Tournament losses, falling to Charleston, 2-1, and Glenville State, 6-1 at Robb Field.
 
Both games were ultimately decided in the first inning with each opponent taking an early lead in the top of the first.
 
The Raider offense totaled 10 hits on the day, plating two runs. Rilee Ehrlacher led the SU offense with three hits, including a double (SU's lone extra-base hit of the day).
 
Dani Hayward pitched 11.2 innings for the Raiders over the two games, allowing just four runs (two in each game), striking out six batters while scattering eight hits and five walks. 
 
Game 1: Charleston 2, Ship 1
 
Charleston, the home team (via coin toss), scored its only two runs of the game in the bottom of the first inning. The Golden Eagles started off with a walk and loaded the bases with a single and another walk. With one out, the first run scored on a bases-loaded walk. Charleston increased its lead with an infield single to make it 2-0, but Hayward worked out of the jam with back-to-back popups.
 
The Raiders answered in the top of the second with their lone run of the game. Ehrlacher led off with a double down the left-field line and reached third after a sacrifice bunt from Gianna Cimino. With one out, Emilee Sullivan hit a single off Golden Eagle ace Addison Mass's glove to make it 2-1. Sarah Sabocsik walked to put two runners on before Mass and the Golden Eagle defense worked out of the inning with a groundout.
 
Leah Schwalm led off with a single in the top of the third and Ehrlacher added a single with two outs. A strikeout from Mass ended the inning.
 
Neither team had a base runner until the top of the fifth when Reagan Bauman delivered a single with two outs. Charleston kept SU from scoring.
 
Hayward retired three straight Golden Eagles in the top of the sixth with a pair of fly outs and a strikeout.
 
Wilmot recorded the last hit of the game for the Raiders in the top of the sixth – a single to left field with two outs. A groundout kept the score 2-1.
 
Charleston threatened to increase the score in the bottom of the sixth. The Golden Eagles delivered a single with one out and moved the runner after a sacrifice bunt. A hit by pitch put a second runner on base before Hayward forced a groundout.
 
The Raiders were unable to score in the top of the seventh.
 
Ehrlacher led the Raider offense going 2-for-3 at the plate. The Raiders totaled six hits to the Golden Eagles four but left seven runners on base.
 
Hayward and Mass, who were both named to the NFCA All-Atlantic Region Teams on Friday morning, each went the distance. Hayward struck out three, allowed four singles, and did not issue a walk after the first inning.
 
Game 2: Glenville 6, Ship 1
 
Glenville State, also the home team (via coin toss), established itself an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Pioneers began with a leadoff single and a one-out walk. Emily Nolan delivered an RBI single to make it 1-0. A well-executed bunt single loaded the bases, and Zailees Seda cleared them with a double into the left-center field gap to increase the lead to 4-0.
 
Hayward entered the circle and worked out the inning with a pair of fly outs.
 
The Raiders got on the board in the top of the second. Ehrlacher and Cimino recorded back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Wilmot scored Ehrlacher with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.
 
The Pioneers notched their first hit off of Hayward in the bottom of the fourth, a single with two outs. A flyout ended Glenville State's chance to score.
 
SU got two Raiders on with two outs in the top of the fifth after Sabocsik drew a walk and Caitlyn Martell delivered a single. The Pioneers got out of the inning with a ground out to keep the score 4-1.
 
Glenville State increased its lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs. A leadoff walk and a double put two Pioneers on base with no outs. With one out, pinch hitter AndiJo Howard scored two runs with a single to make it 6-1. Hayward ended the inning with a strikeout.
 
The Pioneer defense ended the game with three straight outs in the top of the seventh.
 
Martell, Ehrlacher, Cimino and Sullivan each recorded one hit.
 
Kaira Zamadics earned the start in the circle for SU and allowed four hits and walked one. Hayward pitched 5.2 innings for the Raiders, allowing four hits while striking out three and walking two.
 
Friday's games wrap up the career for Shippensburg's senior class: Lindsey Haser, Ehrlacher, Martell, Sullivan and Zamadics.
 
The Raiders have gone 145-81 since the start of the 2023 season, qualifying for the PSAC and NCAA Tournaments each season. Major highlights including the 2025 Atlantic Regional Championship and two PSAC Championships (2023, 2026).
 
CAREER NOTES:
 
Martell finishes her career with the school record for career hits (310), career runs (196), most games started/played (225) and most assists (517). She ranks second in career RBIs (167) and doubles (58). Martell ranks fourth all-time in home runs (32), fourth in slugging percentage (.607), sixth in batting average (.392) and seventh in on-base percentage (.439).
 
SINGLE-SEASON NOTES:
 
Martell tied her career high with 82 hits which ranks fourth in school single-season history.
 
Haser, Schwalm and Ehrlacher finished 2026 ranked third in SU single-season history in doubles (17), while Bauman and Martell finished tenth with 16 doubles.
 
Sabocsik finished 2026 tied for SU's single-season school record for walks with 34.
 
Hayward finished 2026 ranked second in single-season history in wins (28), saves (3), complete games (31), and innings pitched (225.2). She tied the single-season school record for starts with 32. Her 197 strikeouts on the season rank sixth.
 
The 2026 team set a record for doubles in a season (115), hits (559), runs scored (367), and RBIs (340). The team ranked second in program history in home runs (51), third in batting average (.342), and fifth in total wins (39). The 39 wins are the most wins since the 2006 season.