Shippensburg University’s softball team had a successful week, going 5-1 against regional and conference foes. On Wednesday, the Raiders swept regional foe Frostburg State (9-5; 4-0) and then they carried the success into Saturday, when they swept Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponent East Stroudsburg University (3-2; 6-2). On Sunday, SU split its doubleheader against PSAC rival Bloomsburg (9-5; 10-2).

On Wednesday, Shippensburg outhit Frostburg 25-12 on the day, including six doubles and a home run. In Game 1, SU scored at least one run per inning in the first six innings, while in Game 2 SU established momentum with a three-run third inning.

Senior Taylor Myers, the top of the Raiders lineup, went 7-for-8 for the day, with a double, four RBIs and three runs scored. In Game 1, Myers went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI. In the nightcap. Myers went 3-for-4 and added a steal.

In her second at-bat, senior catcher Morgan Lindsay used the first pitch for a home run over the right-center field fence. She followed that up with an RBI-double on the first pitch of her third at-bat in Game 1.

Sophomore Catilyn Martell hit 4-for-8 with four RBIs and two doubles. Junior Alicia Ball pitched a complete game in the opener and struck out nine. Ball allowed five runs on seven hits in seven innings, walked four and hit two batters.

Freshman Madalyn Dyer struck out three over five innings in her start in the nightcap. Junior Katelyn Minney recorded her third save of the season, as she came in with two runners on base in the seventh inning and got the final three outs.

After the sweep over Frostburg, the Raiders started preparing for their game against East Stroudsburg on Saturday. Postponing their doubleheader against Bloomsburg from Friday to Sunday gave SU the opportunity to study both opponents a little bit more, head coach Alison Van Scyoc said. 

Preparing for the ESU doubleheader on Saturday, Van Scyoc said they just had to be prepared with their scouting reports.

“We knew East Stroudsburg is a really good team,” Van Scyoc said. “They are at the very top of the region, so we just had to be prepared with our scouting report — understand what their pitchers were going to try to do, know what their offensive lineup was going to look like and just be prepared.”

In Game 1 on a windy Saturday, SU trailed 2-0 but scored runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to complete the comeback win. Lindsay hit a walk-off solo home run in the seventh off Sarah Davenport, who is the nation’s leader in strikeouts per seven innings. 

ESU took the lead in the fourth off a two-run double, but Ball’s pitching prevented the Warriors from scoring further. Ball allowed seven hits and three walks, hit three batters and struck out struck out six in another complete game effort. ESU stranded 12 runners on base in Game 1.

In Game 2, the Raiders continued the momentum from the end of Game 1, as they started the first inning with two two-run home runs. Martell and freshman Sarah Sabocsik each hit a homer to bring the Raiders in front, 4-0.

After Shippensburg blew an early lead in an earlier matchup with ESU this season, Van Scyoc said she kept telling her team that they have to keep putting the pressure on, since ESU always battles.

In the second inning, Minney doubled and scored on an RBI-single to extend Shippensburg’s lead to 5-0, before she hit a solo home run off Davenport in the sixth. 

Dyer threw a complete game in Game 2, allowing two runs on seven hits with one walk and striking out nine batters.

Van Scyoc said the sweep over ESU feels great. “I am so happy and proud of them,” Van Scyoc said.

On Sunday, SU hosted Bloomsburg for a sunny but windy doubleheader. While Bloomsburg won the opening game, the Raiders fought back to split the doubleheader with a run-rule victory in Game 2.

In Game 1, SU held the lead for the majority of the game and was up 5-4 going into the final inning, but a five-run seventh gave Bloomsburg a 9-5 victory. It was only the second loss at home this season for Shippensburg.

The Huskies started Game 2 with a two-out single off Raiders’ starter Dyer, but Dyer did not allow any more runs throughout the game. In the bottom of the first the Raiders countered with two runs, before they took a 3-2 lead in the second inning.

SU extended its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, before it scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to shorten the game and win the game 10-2.

In the entire second game, there were no strikeouts for either team.

Against Bloomsburg, Myers was 4-for-8 with a double, four RBIs, a stolen base and two runs scored. Throughout the week, Myers moved into second place in school history for career runs with 172. Her 64 hits this season lead the PSAC.

Minney was 3-for-6 with two walks, two RBIs, two runs and a stolen base. She now ranks third in school history for stolen bases with 53.

Shippensburg will host Shepherd for a doubleheader on Tuesday and Bowie State for a doubleheader on Wednesday. On Saturday, the Raiders will travel to Millersville for a doubleheader.

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