SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – In a battle of top teams in the PSAC East standings, the 15th-ranked East Stroudsburg University softball team was swept by Shippensburg (3-2, 6-2) on Saturday afternoon at Robb Field.
The Warriors (34-10, 16-6 PSAC East) drop both games in a conference doubleheader for the first time in nearly two years, last being swept by a PSAC East team at Bloomsburg on April 30, 2022. The Raiders (27-9, 14-6 PSAC East) move within two games of ESU atop the PSAC East standings.
Batting Notables
- Taylor Lipkins (5-8) led the Warriors with five hits including a pair of doubles as the leadoff hitter. She also stole two bases and is now 20-22 on the season in swiping bags.
- Katie Master (2-7, 2 RBI, 2B) drove in a pair of Warriors, while Delaney Ridgell (2-7, HR) connected on solo home run.
- Denva Shaw-Tait (2-4) also collected two hits.
- Kaitlin Houser reached base three times with two walks and a single in game one.
Pitching Notables
- Paige Zigmund (L, 15-5) started both contests, allowing six earned runs (seven total) in 7.2 innings of work. She struck out nine Raiders while issuing three walks. In game one, Zigmund pitched 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and an earned run (two), while striking out nine.
- Sarah Davenport (L, 18-4) suffered the loss in game one, after Shippensburg connected on a walk-off home run. On the day, the Hillsborough, N.J. native pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just three hits and two earned runs, while striking out nine batters. She held SU to hit just .188.
How It Happened – Game 1
- Both Zigmund and Shippensburg's Alicia Ball got off to a strong start. ESU was able to get on the scoreboard first in the top of the 4th. Jada Smallwood led the frame off with a single. After a throwing error put runners on first and second, Samantha Derickson successfully bunted pinch-runner Jade Hassler and Houser to scoring position. Master came up with a clutch two-RBI double to lift the Warriors to a 2-0 lead.
- The Raiders cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the 5th. With two outs and runners on first and second, an error in the outfield allowed an unearned run to cross the plate.
- SU tied the contest in its next at-bats in the bottom of the 6th. Taylor Meyers connected on an RBI single with two outs to make it a 2-2 contest. Davenport entered the contest and got the final out with a popout.
- ESU had back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the 7th but could not capitalize.
- Morgan Lindsay led the bottom of the 7th with a walk-off home run to lift the Raiders to a 3-2 win in game one.
How It Happened – Game 2
- The Raiders started the second game strong, with a leadoff double, followed by a home run from Caitlyn Martell. SU added a two-run home run by Sarah Sabocsik, as the Raiders built an early 4-0 lead.
- SU added an insurance run in the bottom of the 2nd with a RBI single by Myers.
- Ridgell led the top of the 4th with a solo home run to put ESU on the scoreboard.
- In ESU's next at-bats, Lipkins smacked a one-out double and eventually scored on a wild pitch, cutting the Warriors' deficit to three at 5-2.
- The Raiders wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the 6th with a one-out solo home run by Katelyn Minney, for the final score of 6-2.
- ESU put two runners on base in its final at-bats with a walk by Maddy Pritchard and a single from Lipkins but could not score either runner.
Up Next
- ESU (34-10, 16-6 PSAC East) prepares to face Kutztown (22-17, 10-10 PSAC East) on Tuesday at North Campus Field.
