After a more than impressive 3–0 start to the 2014 softball season at the Shaw Tournament in Raleigh, N.C., the Shippensburg University softball team is headed to Clermont, Fla., to play eight games as part of their spring training.
The Raiders swept the competition a week and a half ago when they beat North Greenville University, Virginia State University and Mount Olive college in Raleigh, N.C.SU held its three opponents to just eight total runs while tallying 16 runs of their own.
The Raiders look to mirror their play when they take on tough DII teams this coming weekend.
SU kicks off the five-day trip when they take on a tough Wilmington (Del.) University squad at 2 p.m., followed by a matchup against South New Hampshire University at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. SNHU, a team that made it to the Northeast-10 semifinals last season, is currently 1–1 while WU has not played a game yet.
The Raiders will then play two evening games on Sunday against Northwood University (3 p.m.) and Stone Hill College at 5 p.m.
SU will then have an off day before returning to the field on Monday to take on Alderson-Broaddus College at 9 a.m. before taking on the University of Bridgeport at 11 a.m.
The Raiders round out the five-game road trip on Wednesday morning when they play the Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan College at 9 a.m. before taking on American International College at 1 p.m.
The Raiders will be led by a trio of sluggers in Taylor Weisman, Maddie Justice and Hilary Lyons. All three of whom are batting .429, respectively.
Weisman has the only Raider homerun so far this season and also leads the team in RBI (5), triples (1) and total bases (9).
Lyons is currently a perfect 5–5 on stolen bases for SU.
The Raiders also expect significant contributions from Briana Giovenco and Emmie Burke.
Giovenco is currently batting .400 and leads the Raiders with 10 total at bats and four hits.
SU’s Emily Estep and Liz Parkins will hold down the circle for SU during the long five-day road trip.
Estep leads the Raiders and the PSAC with an ERA of 0.88. Estep has notched one complete game and one save in eight innings pitched so far for SU.
Parkins is right behind Estep for the lowest ERA in the PSAC with 1.00. Parkins has tallied seven innings pitched while recording five strike outs and one complete game.
The Raiders will look to improve their record and get some valuable field time this coming weekend before they head to Salem, Va., for the West Virginia Wesley Tournament on March 14.
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