The Shippensburg University softball team suffered a five-inning loss in the opening game of its Sunday doubleheader with No. 24 Bloomsburg but flipped the script in Game 2, recording a 12-3 victory to salvage a split with the vaunted Huskies.

SU handed BU its worst loss in more than five years by scoring seven runs in the first two innings and finishing the game with a season-high 17 hits. SU also got some steady pitching from Emily Estep, who overcame two BU home runs by allowing just three earned runs in a complete-game effort while striking out nine.

Outfielder Hilary Lyons batted in the No. 8 spot in Game 1 and the leadoff spot in Game 2. She totaled four hits in seven at-bats and scored three runs.

Catcher Meg Lehman had three hits and three RBIs in Game 2, while Maddie Justice and Tyler Thompson also finished the doubleheader with three combined hits between the two games.
Lehman is now tied for the team lead with 16 RBIs this season-, a total larger than she had amassed in her career entering the season. Justice also has 16 RBIs in addition to six extra-base hits and just five strikeouts in 79 at-bats.

In Game 1, SU mustered five hits off Paine, who improved her record to 11-3 with the victory.
BU scored four runs in each of the first two innings to take control of the contest. The Huskies cranked out seven hits in four innings, including four that went for extra bases.

However, Game 2 would be a different story as all nine Raider starters collected at least one hit as SU snapped a four-game losing streak with an impressive performance.

SU scored three runs with two outs in the first inning. With Lyons on first after a leadoff single, Justice doubled her home after smacking a ball into left field. Rachel Shumway, who went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs in the contest, singled home Justice and advanced to second on the throw. Jessie Trammell plated Shumway in the next at-bat after depositing a single into right-center field.

Jenna Allen singled to kick start the four-run second inning and was advanced to second base after a sacrifice bunt by junior Kiersten Darhower. Lyons singled and advanced to second base after the outfielder attempted to gun down Allen at third base but was unsuccessful.

Lehman singled in both runners in the next at-bat and moved up second base after a fielding error by the left fielder. SU at this point had a 5-0 lead and had ended Paine’s afternoon. Taylor Weisman doubled home Lehman to give the Raiders a 6-0 lead.

SU boasted an 8-3 advantage before adding four more runs in its final at-bat. Darhower and Lyons both singled with one out before Lehman doubled into the right-center field gap, plating one run and putting two runners in scoring position. Weisman doubled home Lyons and Lehman before coming home in the next at-bat after a Justice RBI-single.

SU hosts West Chester today at 1:30 p.m.

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