Shippensburg University’s softball team went 1-1 in a pair of thrilling games against Slippery Rock this past Sunday, moving their record to 5-3 on the season. Game 1 saw the Raiders pick up a walk-off victory, winning 3-2, before dropping a marathon second game, losing 9-6 in nine innings.

The first game of the day saw Shippensburg fall behind 2-0 in the first inning, with Slippery Rock picking up a pair of RBI singles. The Raiders threatened on offense the next few innings, leaving seven runners on base in the first three innings.

The Raiders evened it up in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring their first run on a sacrifice fly from freshman Sarah Sabocsik. Senior Alyssa Nehlen knotted the score later in the inning, walking with the bases loaded to score a run.

With the game still tied in the bottom of the seventh, sophomore Emilee Sullivan singled with one out to put the go-ahead run on base. The very next at bat saw Nehlen single to left field, with a throwing error by the Slippery Rock left fielder allowing Sullivan to come home and score, giving Shippensburg the 3-2 win.

Speaking on her mentality during the last at bat, Nehlen said her goal was to “just put the ball in play, it felt really good just to make contact… just trying to keep the inning alive.”

Junior Alicia Ball moved to 3-1 on the season after earning the Game 1 win. She went the full seven innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits and three walks. She struck out 11 batters, putting her over 200 strikeouts in her collegiate career.

Game 2 saw Slippery Rock jump ahead 3-0 in the first inning, followed by the Raiders getting RBI hits from senior Maelynn Leber & freshman Brie Wilmot to make it 3-2 after the third. After a solo home run for the visitors, Leber hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to give the Raiders a 5-4 lead, giving her four RBIs on the day. Nehlen added an RBI double later in the frame to make it 6-4 through five innings.

The Rock tied it in the sixth with a two-run single, with the game remaining even until the ninth. Slippery Rock picked up a pair of RBI singles, scoring three runs in total to make it 9-6. Shippensburg sent the tying run to the plate in the bottom half of the inning, but could not capitalize, the game ending as a 9-6 loss.

Junior Katelyn Minney allowed six runs in her 5 1/3-inning start, with only two being earned. She gave up four hits and two walks while striking out three. Leber got the loss in relief, giving up three runs, two earned in 3 1/3 innings.

Speaking on what will be the focus for the next series, head coach Ally Van Scyoc said, “We have to be better at an attack mentality, where we’re attacking the first pitch, regardless of what half of the plate that it’s. We left a lot of first pitched go by that we could’ve attacked and pushed some baserunners across.”

Softball has another home doubleheader on the schedule this week, taking on Felician at Robb Field on Wednesday. Game 1 starts at 1 p.m.

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