Shippensburg University Athletics

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Shippensburg University softball team defeated East Stroudsburg on Friday, 7-2, to advance to the championship of the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Softball Tournament. The Raiders defeated the Eastern Division No. 3 seed on a cold and rainy morning at Grand Slam Park.
 
The win was the 37th of the season for Shippensburg (37-16), marking the most victories in a single season since 2006 (and in the tenure of current head coach Alison Van Scyoc).
 
SU continued its impressive offensive performance in the tournament, totaling 13 hits while plating seven runs. East Stroudsburg (35-18) ended with five hits and two runs.
 
Rilee Ehrlacher led the SU offense by going 4-for-4 at the plate with a two-run home run. Ehrlacher's home run got the Raiders ahead in the third inning and marked the 10th home run of her career.
 
Caitlyn Martell finished the day going 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and an RBI.
 
Dani Hayward got the win in the circle, striking out three batters while allowing five hits and walking two.
 
The Warriors drew a leadoff walk in the top of the first and recorded a single to put two runners on. Hayward worked out of the inning with a pair of fly outs.
 
Martell delivered her first hit of the day in the bottom of the first inning. East Stroudsburg's Sarah Davenport kept the game scoreless with three straight outs.
 
The Warriors put the first run on the board after a leadoff home run in the top of the second from Katie Master. Hayward and the defense got the next three Warriors out to keep the game 1-0.
 
The Raiders responded in the bottom of the third. Ehrlacher led off with a single and Gianna Cimino reached base after an error from ESU. Brie Wilmot (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) tied the game with an RBI single that scored Ehrlacher. The Warriors stranded two Raiders on base with a pair of fly outs and a line out.
 
Leah Schwalm started the bottom of the third inning with her fourth double of the tournament. With two outs, Ehrlacher launched a home run over the left-field fence to give the Raiders a 3-1 lead.
 
The Warriors got a runner on base in the top of the fourth after a walk with one out, but a strikeout and ground out kept a run from scoring.
 
The Raiders added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Wilmot led off with a single. Martell notched an RBI double with two outs to make it 4-1. Schwalm singled up the middle to score Martell to increase the SU lead to 5-1.
 
ESU came within three in the top of the fifth inning. The Warriors had two runners on with one out after a single and a hit by pitch. An RBI single made it 5-2.
 
Ehrlacher started the bottom of the fifth with a single. Gianna Cimino followed with her tenth home run of the season to make it 7-2 and chase Davenport.
 
The Raider defense got three straight outs in the top of the sixth off a pair of ground outs and a strikeout.
 
Ehrlacher delivered her fourth hit of the day in the bottom of the sixth, a single with two outs. Cimino walked to put two SU runners on, but a flyout stopped the Raiders from scoring.
 
Hayward retired three Warriors in the top of the seventh with a fly out and two groundouts to send the Raiders to the PSAC title game.
 
All of Shippensburg's runs were against Davenport, a reigning First Team All-American and an Eastern Division First Team pitcher this season. Davenport pitched until the fifth inning, allowing seven runs (all earned) and 11 hits, while striking out three.
 
The Raiders will face the winner of Game 17 between East Stroudsburg and IUP tomorrow at 11 a.m.
 
Shippensburg will look to win its first PSAC Championship since the 2023 season.
 

SOFTBALL: We are back for some breakfast softball in Binghamton, where Brie's RBI single evens the score against ESU!

SHIP 1, ESU 1 (B2) pic.twitter.com/ctyLZKjHvC

— Shippensburg University Raiders (@ShipURaiders) May 8, 2026

 

SOFTBALL: Rilee smashes a two-run, go-ahead home run!💣

SHIP 3, ESU 1 (B3) pic.twitter.com/HBwg9jbz97

— Shippensburg University Raiders (@ShipURaiders) May 8, 2026

 

SOFTBALL: WE HAVE LIFTOFF!🚀

Gianna hits a two-run 💣 to straightaway center!

SHIP 7, ESU 2 (B5) pic.twitter.com/9iXqrCpTNf

— Shippensburg University Raiders (@ShipURaiders) May 8, 2026

 

SOFTBALL: The Raiders advance to the PSAC title game!🎉

Marty records the final out of a 7-2 victory over ESU! pic.twitter.com/6RMYg1K47k

— Shippensburg University Raiders (@ShipURaiders) May 8, 2026