LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Shepherd University’s junior pitcher Madelayne Ruffner complete a dominant week in the circle by being named PSAC East softball pitcher of the week as announced by the league office on Monday.
Ruffner fired a no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Millersville on Saturday to highlight a 3-0 week, which included a save, while collecting 40 strikeouts without allowing a run. She allowed just four hits and two walks in 19 innings of work.
Millersville won the nightcap, 5-1.
In the Millersville win, Ruffner collected 19 strikeouts to reset her old mark of 18 whiffs against, which was set last season against East Stroudsburg.
It was the 14th no-hitter in Shepherd softball history and the second for Ruffner. She blanked Bloomsburg on March 21, 2025, which was the Rams’ last gem before Friday.
Ruffner joins Taylor Stocks and Tara Hanson as the only Shepherd pitchers to partake in two no-hitters. One of Hanson’s used two pitchers.
The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the second inning in Friday’s opener as catcher Madelyn Chambers (led off with a single and later scored on an infield single by shortstop Sadie Kittoe.
Shepherd added three runs in the third behind Boonsboro graduate Haylee Hartman’s RBI double and run-scoring singles from designated player Sam Colaw and Chambers.
Hartman and Chambers each had a pair of hits for the Rams.
Ruffner only walked one while improving her record to 6-5.
Millersville jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the nightcap before Shepherd scored in the seventh when Colaw led off with a single and scored on a single by Chambers. Colaw and Chambers each finished with two hits.
On Saturday, Shepherd closed out the weekend with a 2-0, 8-0 sweep of West Chester in another PSAC East doubleheader.
The Rams took a 1-0 lead in the first inning in the opener on a solo homer by Hartman.
Shepherd (12-11, 7-5) added a run in the third as infielder Hailey Putnam singled and scored on a single by Colaw.
Pitcher Natalee Harvey earned the win, allowing one hit and four walks while striking out two in four innings. Ruffner earned her third save with four no-hit innings with six strikeouts. It was the sixth save of her career to break the previous Shepherd mark of five set by Lori Sturgill (2017-19).
In the nightcap, the Rams took advantage of three hits and two errors to take a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
The Rams added five runs in the fourth to gain a 7-0 advantage as Hartman hit a two-run homer, infielder Cate Russian smacked a two-run double and Ruffner added a run-scoring single.
Harvey led off the sixth with a double and later scored on a sacrifice fly by infielder Hailey Putnam to cap the victory.
Ruffner worked four innings, allowing no runs on three hits with five strikeouts to claim the win.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Pullen named PSAC East athlete of the week
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Shepherd outfielder Bodie Pullen has been named PSAC East Athlete of the Week as announced by the league office on Monday for batting .600 (9-15) in the Rams’ 5-0 week.
He drove in nine runs and scored 13, totaling a slugging percentage of 1.400 and an on-base percentage of .714. He had three home runs, a triple, a double, and a pair of stolen bases.
The Rams scored four wins over the weekend, starting Friday in a 9-3, 12-8 sweep of Mansfield.
Shepherd took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the opener, highlighted by a solo home run by Pullen and a two-run homer from designated-hitter Wyatt Lamb.
After Manfield tied the game at 3 in the fifth, the Rams scored five runs on five hits in the fifth to take an 8-3 lead before capping the game in the sixth when Pullen singled and scored on Ryan Fluharty’s double.
Pullen had three hits with three runs to pace the Rams.
Pitcher Gavin Miller (2-4) allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts to earn the win
In the nightcap, Mansfield took a 1-0 lead before Shepherd scored five runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a Colin Ahart’s run-scoring double.
Mansfield took an 8-5 lead with two runs in the second and five more in the third.
The Rams began their comeback with a run in third when outfielder Sam Hefner singled and scored on a single by Pullen.
The Rams took a 10-8 lead with four runs in the fifth with a two-run single by shortstop Ethan Burgreen and Pullen’s solo homer.
Shepherd scored two in the sixth on a Fluharty’s two-run homer to cap the score at 12-8.
Pullen went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and three runs batted in to pace Shepherd.
Shepherd came home on Saturday to sweep Mansfield in another doubleheader 9-2 and 22-16.
Shepherd took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first of the opener when Pullen walked, stole second, and scored on a double by Ahart.
The Rams took a 4-0 lead in the second highlighted by a run-scoring triple from Pullen.
The Rams plated one in the fourth on Ethan Jones’ solo homer and added a run in the fifth with a homer by Nik Rubendall.
Shepherd took advantage of an error and a wild pitch in the sixth to take a 9-0 lead.
Mansfield scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Pullen had three hits with three runs and two batted in to pace the Rams.
Shepherd pitcher Allen Miller (3-2) got the win, going six shutout innings and allowing four hits and two walks while striking out two.
Shepherd (21-12, 8-4) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap on a Pullen homer.
The Rams took a 10-0 lead in the second, highlighted by a three-run blast by Lamb.
Mansfield came back with four runs in the second.
Shepherd unloaded a nine-run fourth to take a 19-4 lead. Rubendall, Jones and Fluharty each had a two-run blast.
Mansfield came back with four runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to make it 19-12.
The Rams took a 21-12 lead in the sixth, highlighted by a Sam Hefner’s solo homer before Mansfield came back with four in the bottom of the sixth.
Shepherd capped the scoring in the seventh Braylon walked and scored on a single from Hefner.
Nathaniel Brookshire went 3-for-4 with three runs to pace Shepherd.
Shepherd ranked eighth in NCBWA Regional Poll
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Shepherd University baseball team (21-12) is ranked eighth in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Atlantic Region Poll for April 6 after posting a 5-0 record last week.
West Chester remains No. 1 with eight first-place votes, while Seton Hill is second with three votes. Frostburg State is third and Shippensburg is sixth in this week’s poll.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Shepherd finishes eighth at Millersville Women’s Invitational
QUARRYVILLE, Pa. – Sara Veara fired a total of 83 and finished in third place to lead Shepherd University to an eighth-place finish in the 10-team Millersville Women’s Invitational at Tanglewood Manor Golf Course on Saturday.
The Rams combined for a team score of 388, while Bloomsburg scored 346 to win the title. Nikola Truhlarova of Adelphi took individual medalist honors with an 80.
Addison Buckland finished tied for 32nd with a 94 for the Rams, while Natalee Johnson (105, 43rd), Allison Wallace (106, 44th) and Williamsport graduate Kaylie Brown (107, T-45th) all competed for Shepherd.
