Gallery: (5-6-2026) 2026 PSAC Softball vs. Seton Hill
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Shippensburg University softball team began its stay at the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament with an 8-0, five-inning victory over Seton Hill, the No. 3 West seed, on a cold and rainy day at Grand Slam Park.
Shippensburg (35-16) totaled nine hits, with four of those going for extra bases. The Raiders totaled three doubles, bringing their season total to 105 doubles, setting a new program record for most doubles hit in a season. The previous record was 104 set by the 2002 squad.
Seton Hill (24-24) finished the game with five hits and left eight runners on base.
Leah Schwalm led the SU offense going 3-for-3 at the plate totaling five RBIs off two doubles and a triple. She reached base in all four of her appearances as she was also hit by a pitch in her first at-bat. Her five RBIs mark a new career high while her three hits tie her career high.
Rilee Ehrlacher went 2-for-2 with a double and a single and a sacrifice bunt.
Dani Hayward had an impressive outing in the circle, striking out ten batters – just one short of her career high. Hayward allowed just five hits and walked none, recording her fifth shutout of the season.
The Griffins threatened to score in the first inning after a double and a single with one out. Hayward struck out the next batter before hitting the next batter with a pitch that loaded the bases. Hayward's third strikeout of the inning kept the game scoreless.
Schwalm was the lone baserunner for SU in the bottom of the first as the game remained scoreless.
Hayward picked up two more strikeouts in the top of the second, retiring three straight batters.
SU plated the first run of the day in the bottom of the third inning. Schwalm recorded her first double of the day. With two outs,
Lindsey Haser hit an RBI single to make it 1-0.
The Raiders broke open the game in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs. Ehrlacher led off with a double and was brought home by an RBI single from
Brie Wilmot, 2-0.
Sarah Sabocsik reached base with a single to put two runners on.
Caitlyn Martell reached base after a fielder's choice play, where pinch runner
Emily Lafferty escaped the tag to make the bases loaded for SU.
Schwalm cleared the bases with her third triple of the season to make it 5-0, and the Raiders took advantage of a Griffin error to make it 6-0.
Seton Hill's biggest threat of the day came in the top of the fifth inning. A leadoff single followed by a Raider error and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with no outs. Hayward recorded the first out with a strikeout. The next batter placed the ball right in front of Hayward, allowing her to make the throw to home to keep the Griffins from scoring. Hayward ended the inning with her tenth strikeout of the day.
Ehrlacher started off the bottom of the fifth with a single. Wilmot reached base after a fielder's choice that got Ehrlacher out at second.
Emilee Sullivan drew a walk to put two runners on.
Martell recorded her 300th hit of her career, a single to load the bases. She becomes just the fourth player in PSAC history to reach 300 hits. Schwalm ended the game via run rule with a double that scored two runs to make it 8-0.
It marked the fourth consecutive year that Shippensburg and Seton Hill have met in the PSAC Tournament (the Raiders have won three of the four meetings).
Shippensburg's next game is at 12:30 p.m. against the No. 1 West Seed IUP.
