SHIPPENSBURG — The Shippensburg University softball team opened the scoring and never trailed against Bloomsburg Thursday in an NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament win over the Huskies, 10-3, at Robb Field.
Shippensburg (32-18) had junior Hannah Marsteller (Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend), the back-to-back PSAC East Athlete of the Year, and sophomore Taylor Myers (Fayetteville/Chambersburg Area), finish the day perfect at bat, combining to go 7-for-7 and reaching base 10 times. It helped the Raiders exact some revenge against Bloomsburg (28-19), who eliminated the Raiders from the conference tournament last week.
Marsteller went 4-for-4, including a double, four RBIs and a walk, while Myers went 3-for-3, including a double, two walks and a career high of five runs.
Senior Morgan DeFeo (West Grove/Avon Grove) drew two bases-loaded walks. PSAC East Freshman of the Year Katelyn Minney (Lititz/Warwick) had two RBIs. Freshman Emma Mackulin (West Miffli./West Mifflin Area) and sophomore Maelynn Leber (Wrightsville/Eastern York) had one hit each; Leber reached base three times.
Shippensburg opened the scoring in the first with an RBI double from Marsteller that brought Myers home. Myers opened the game with a walk. Bloomsburg answered back with a run in the bottom of the second inning from a Raider error to tie the game.
The Raiders kept their hitting momentum going and took back the lead in the top of the third, 3-1. Back-to-back singles by Myers and DeFeo and a walk by Marsteller loaded the bases. Minney singled up the middle to bring home Myers. Sophomore Morgan Lindsay (Hereford/Upper Perkiomen (Colgate)) hit a sacrifice fly to bring DeFeo home.
In the top of the fourth inning, SU scored three more runs. A walk and back-to-back singles loaded the bases with only one out. DeFeo drew a walk to send home freshman Morgan Brumbaugh (McVeytown/Mount Union Area). Marsteller singled to right center to bring home Mackulin, and Myers scored on a wild pitch.
The Huskies came back in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run double to left center by Danielle Barnes to trail by three, 6-3. The Raiders scored one run in the next inning with a sacrifice fly to left field by Minney to bring Myers home.
Shippensburg topped off the afternoon with three more runs, as DeFeo drew another bases-loaded walk and Marsteller crushed the ball to left field to bring Leber and Myers home.
All-PSAC East Second Team freshman Alicia Ball (Woodstock, Va./Central) started in the circle for the Raiders and threw a complete game. She allowed only four hits and two earned runs.
The Raiders were set to play at noon Friday against No. 2 seed Seton Hill. The winner will advance to Saturday’s championship, while the loser goes to the elimination bracket and will play the winner of the Bloomsburg vs. Claflin game at 2:30 p.m.
