The Shippensburg University softball team earned a spot at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Super Regionals after going undefeated at the preliminary tournament last week. 

On Thursday, the Raiders faced multiple delays due to inclement weather but were able to come out on top of the West Chester Rams in the first game of the NCAA Atlantic Regionals. 

For the first five innings of the game, SU kept the Rams from scoring while posting three runs of their own. The first run came in the bottom of the third when the inning started off with senior Aryanna Briddell getting hit by a pitch. Sophomore Ryan Morse replaced Briddell on the bases, reaching second on a bunt single from senior Katelyn Minney and eventually scoring off an RBI single from sophomore Sarah Sabocsik. The team scored the other two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, with one run in each. 

During the top of the sixth inning, the Rams tied the game after a base clearing double from their designated player/third baseman junior Lauryn Kane. 

Despite WCU’s comeback effort, SU sophomore Brie Wilmot secured the 4-3 victory with a two-out walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh. 

Following their first regionals win, the Raiders advanced to play the No. 1 seeded East Stroudsburg University on Friday. With her second start in a row, senior Alicia Ball delivered another win through nine complete innings as the Raiders worked through extras to celebrate a walk-off again. 

ESU scored first with one run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Raiders answered with two runs in the bottom half to put themselves ahead. SU scored another run in the sixth for a two-run lead, but it did not last long. The Warriors tied it up in the top of the seventh, which would send the game into extra innings. 

The Warriors scored a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough for them. The Raiders hit back-to-back singles through the left side to start the latter half of the inning. Then, a groundout advanced both runners into scoring position. Junior Emilee Sullivan scored the first runner on an RBI sacrifice fly to tie the game once again. In the next at bat, freshman Gianna Cimino singled through the right side for her second RBI of the game, which provided the Raiders with the 5-4 win.  

Following Friday’s win against ESU, the teams met again on Saturday. Although the game prior was evenly contested, Saturday’s game was a comeback win for Shippensburg. 

The Raiders scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning, but ESU held them off for the next five innings. The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the third and then built a four-run lead in the bottom of the fourth. 

Shippensburg battled back from the deficit in the top of the sixth inning. The Raiders scored another run off of ESU’s starter, sophomore Sarah Davenport, before scoring another six off of relief pitcher senior Abbie Landrum. The Raiders also added two insurance runs during the seventh off the third pitcher for the Warriors, totaling the final score at 10-5. 

Ball started her third game in a row and totaled four innings, giving up five hits and five unearned runs. Freshman Dani Hayward picked up the win throwing for three innings and only allowing two hits. 

This week, the SU softball team will travel to Kutztown for NCAA Atlantic Super Regionals where they will face the Golden Bears on Thursday and Friday. Friday has the potential to be a double header if the series is still undecided after the first two games. The team’s appearance at the Super Regional will be the first in SU softball history. 

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