Following a 1-5 start in conference play, Shippensburg University’s softball team swept a pair of home doubleheaders this week to move to 16-10 on the season. They beat Millersville 6-1 & 4-0 on Tuesday before taking down No. 25 West Chester 4-0 and 5-4 on Saturday.

Tuesday’s first game saw SU score three in the first inning, with junior Caitlyn Martell, junior Rilee Ehrlacher and senior Aryanna Briddell each driving in a run to put the Raiders ahead 3-1. Sophomore Reagan Bauman added some insurance with a two-run homer in the fifth.

Senior Alicia Ball earned her fifth win of the season in the circle, pitching all seven innings and allowing one unearned run. She struck out seven while allowing five hits and two walks.

SU struck first in game two, with sophomore Brie Wilmot’s RBI single in the second giving the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Bridell and junior Emilee Sullivan each had RBI singles in the fourth, before sophomore Emily Lafferty had a run-scoring triple for the final score of the game.

The Raiders had a balanced attack in the second game, with eight players combining to rack up 12 hits. Wilmot, Briddell, Sullivan and sophomore Sarah Sabocsik each had a pair of hits.

Freshman Dani Hayward threw her first collegiate shutout, striking out nine on five hits and a walk. She moved to 4-3 on the year.

Ball pitched the first game against West Chester and threw an absolute gem. She struck out 10 batters in a one-hit shutout with three walks. She now sits fifth in the PSAC this season with 85 strikeouts.

SU began their scoring with a solo home run from Briddell in the second inning, with Sabocsik driving in two more runs on a double later in the inning. Wilmot joined the party with a solo home run in the fifth, finalizing the 4-0 victory.

Game two against the Golden Rams began with three scoreless innings, with the Raider bats awakening from there. Martell had an RBI triple, followed by Sabocsik hitting a two-run homer to center. Freshman Gianna Cimino hit her first collegiate home run in the fifth to put SU ahead 4-0.

West Chester responded with a four-run sixth to tie the game, and it remained knotted into extra innings. After a scoreless eighth for WCU, Sabocsik hit a leadoff single and came around to score on a walk-off double from Ehrlacher to give Shippensburg the sweep.

Hayward went five innings in her start, allowing two earned runs on five hits and a walk, striking out two. Sophomore Madalyn Dyer earned the win after pitching the final three innings, allowing just one hit. She moves to 5-0 on the year.

A busy week is ahead for SU softball, with three conference doubleheaders on the schedule. They will travel to Mansfield for a pair of games at 2 p.m. on Tuesday before going to Lock Haven for two at 2 p.m. on Friday. They will return to Robb Field to take on Kutztown for a twin-bill of home games at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

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