STROUDSBURG, Pa.- The East Stroudsburg University softball team dropped an extra-inning thriller on Friday, falling to Shippensburg 5–4 in nine innings in a game that featured four lead changes.
The Warriors (47-11-1) rallied from a two-run deficit to force extras, but the Raiders (33-20) strung together three singles in the bottom of the ninth to secure the walk-off win. ESU will play again tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in an elimination game.
Notables:
Taylor Lipkins once again led the way with three hits and a run scored.
Maddy Pritchard also recorded multiple hits, finishing with a pair of singles.
Abigail Weirich reached base twice, once with a single and once after being hit by a pitch. She also stole three bases and scored a run.
Katie Master reached base three times, getting hit by two pitches and adding a single up the middle.
Sarah Davenport pitched eight innings, struck out eight, and surpassed 700 career strikeouts. Earlier this season, she became the first Warrior in program history to reach both 500 and 600 strikeouts. Davenport is now just the ninth pitcher in PSAC history to reach the 700-strikeout milestone.
How it happened:
The first three innings were scoreless before the action picked up in the fourth. Weirich led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, then stole both second and third.
Delaney Ridgell drove her in to give the Warriors a 1–0 lead.
Shippensburg responded quickly in the bottom half, tying the game with an RBI double from its second batter of the inning, who later scored on a single to give the Raiders their first lead. Shippensburg added another run in the sixth to extend its advantage to 3–1.
ESU showed resilience in the top of the seventh. With just two outs remaining, Pritchard and Lipkins singled to spark a rally.
Tatum Kresley then put the ball in play, driving in pinch runner
Kylie Ingram and Lipkins to tie the game at 3–3 and force extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth, the Warriors struck again in the ninth. Kresley and Weirich both reached on hits, with Kresley eventually scoring to put ESU back in front, 4–3.
However, in the bottom of the ninth, Shippensburg opened the inning with back-to-back singles, tied the game on a sacrifice fly, and won it with a walk-off single.
Up next:
ESU will learn its opponent following the conclusion of the West Chester vs. Bowie State game and will face the winner at 1 p.m. Saturday. With a win, the Warriors would then take on Shippensburg at 3 p.m., needing another victory to force a winner-take-all game on Sunday.
For the latest information on the 2025 NCAA Division II Softball Atlantic Regional check out the
championship central page.
