SALEM, Va. – Pitcher Madelayne Ruffner fired a one-hit shutout on Sunday to lead the Shepherd University softball team to a 1-0 victory over West Liberty in the Rams’ first game during the second day of the MEC Crossover at Salem University.
Shepherd (4-6) lost 6-0 to Charleston the second game.
Ruffner worked seven innings with 10 strikeouts while issuing two walks.
The Rams got the only run of the game in the second inning as infielder Hailey Putnam ripped a double and moved to third on a sacrifice by Ruffner before scoring on a wild pitch.
Putnam led Shepherd with two of its five hits.
In the second game, Charleston led 2-0 before putting the game away with four runs on five hits in the fifth inning to ice the win.
Shepherd pitcher Sam Colaw went 3-for-3 to pace the Rams, despite taking the loss.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
IUP 9-6, Shepherd 8-3
INDIANA, Pa. – Shepherd University finished off a tough weekend on Sunday by dropping a doubleheader to Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Sunday. The Rams lost all four games that played against the Crimson Hawks, including two on Saturday.
The Rams (12-8) lead 8-1 in the opener before allowing eight runs in the fifth, capped by a two-run homer by IUP’s David Kessler, to take the loss.
Shepherd took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when infielder Andrew O’Brien drove in shortstop Ethan Burgreen with a single.
Catcher Alex Rose ripped a three-run double to highlight the Rams’ four-run fourth for a 5-0 lead.
After IUP scored in the bottom of the fourth, Shepherd countered with three runs in the fifth, rallying with first baseman Nik Rubendall’s two-run double before the Crimson Hawks’ game-winning rally. Rubendall went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs to pace the Rams.
In the nightcap, IUP scored one run in the first and two in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Elijah Dunn homered in the third to make it 3-0.
The Crimson Hawks scored a run in the fourth and sixth for the 6-0 lead.
Shepherd got three runs in the seventh, led by a two-run single by catcher Kory Barbier.
