Photo by DAN PUTZ/The Slate

Softball's streak at 11-0

By BEN DESTEFAN
Asst. Sports Editor

The Shippensburg University softball team opened PSAC Division play by sweeping the Marauders of Millersville in a doubleheader by scores of 2-1 and 4-2.

The wins extended the Lady Raiders streak to 11 games, the longest in two seasons.

In Game 1, Shippensburg got off to a quick start by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The runs would prove to be just enough for senior pitcher Dani Shields, who scattered three hits and struck out eight.

Senior Liz Good singled to center and was brought home on an RBI single off the bat of freshman Hope Cornell. Junior Lori Knopf then followed by ripping a shot into right-center field that was misplayed by the Marauder’s, allowing Cornell to score.

Millersville would plate one run in the top of the fourth, but were denied a tying run because of the dominant performance by Shields. The senior earned her ninth win of the season and added to the astounding statistics for Shippensburg’s week on the mound. The Lady Raiders allowed only one earned run in 41 innings of work, posting a 0.17 ERA during the week.

Scoring for Shippensburg did not come quite as quick in Game 2 of the doubleheader. It took until the fourth inning for the Lady Raiders to plate the first run of the contest.

Cornell led off the inning by smoking a single to left-center and advanced to second on a passed ball. Knopf then brought Cornell home on an RBI single to give Shippensburg a 1-0 lead.

“There is no one reason for the success of our team besides the fact that we are a team, a unified group,” said Cornell. “I was seeing the pitchers well. When my teammates work to get on base, I want to work even harder to bring them across the plate.”

The Lady Raiders continued their momentum into the fifth by plating three more runs, extending the lead to four. Junior Chelsea Carson led off the inning by hitting her second double of the day and was followed by Good beating out a single and quickly stealing second.

Cornell then continued her impressive performance at the plate by working the count full before bombing a line drive over the right-field fence for her fifth home run of the season. Cornell finished the doubleheader with three hits, four RBI’s and three runs scored. For the week, the freshman finished with a .474 batting average, including two home runs and 10 RBI’s over the six-game span.

Good ended the day with three hits, three stolen bases and two runs scored. The senior has had at least one hit in five of the last six games and finished her week with a .381 average.

The Lady Raiders have combined to hit .330 with 11 homeruns and 67 RBIs over the 11-game win streak.

From the mound, Shippensburg has surrendered a mere 16 earned runs and have posted a 1.51 earned-run average over the 11 games.

“We try our best and want to become better at the game,” said Knopf. “We have the determination as a team to succeed and achieve anything that is thrown at us, we work hard and try to improve anything that doesn’t seem to be working.”

The Ladies take on Bloomsburg University in a double header Wednesday