SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University softball team fell to Shippensburg 10-3 in its first game of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Robb Field in Shippensburg.
The Huskies (28-19) fought tough and were able to cut a five-run deficit to just three after a two-run double by
Danielle Barnes (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Shippensburg (32-18) was able add four insurance runs in the final two innings to hold on for a 10-3 victory.
No. 3 seed Bloomsburg will have a chance to stay alive in the Atlantic Regional when it takes on No. 7 seed Claflin (21-14) in an elimination game tomorrow at 2:30 PM. Claflin fell to No. 2 seed Seton Hill (37-10) by a final of 3-0 on Thursday. The elimination game against Claflin will be played at Robb Field in Shippensburg.
Shippensburg took the first lead of the game in the top of the first inning on an RBI double, but Bloomsburg was able to tie the game up at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on a hard-hit ball by
Sammi Starr (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area) down the third-base line that allowed
Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin) to score from third.
The 1-1 stalemate was broken in the top of the third when No. 6 seed Shippensburg scored two runs on an RBI single and sacrifice fly. The Raiders then scored three more in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Huskies made things interesting when Barnes hit her two-run double to bring Bloomsburg within three runs of the Raiders.
Nicolette Ray (Abington, Pa./Abington) led off the inning and earned a four-pitch walk to start the rally off, then
Erin DelPierre (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) singled through the left side of the infield to get two runners on base for Barnes with one out, which is when she delivered her clutch double. Barnes was able to advance to third on a wild pitch with one out during the next at-bat, but a pair of groundouts ended the inning with the score 6-3.
Shippensburg scored on a sacrifice fly in the top of next inning and following a 1-2-3 half-inning by Bloomsburg, the Raiders loaded the bases in the top of the seventh and added three runs on a walk and two-run single.
Ray led off the bottom of the seventh by drawing another walk, but Shippensburg retired the next three hitters in order to end the game.
DelPierre led the Huskies at the plate with her 2-for-3 day. The All-PSAC outfielder also scored once and had one walk. Barnes had a team-high two RBI with her double in the fifth, and
Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) recorded the team's fourth hit of the contest.
On the mound,
Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area) started the game and tossed three innings while
Kelly Eberly (Purcellville, Va/Homeschooled) threw the final four innings. The pair of freshmen combined to throw four strikeouts in the contest.
For Shippensburg, PSAC Player of the Year Hannah Marsteller led the team with her 4-for-4 day, which included a double and four runs batted in. Morgan DeFeo and Katelyn Minney had two RBI each and Morgan Lindsay had one.
A win for Bloomsburg against Claflin tomorrow at 2:30 PM would place the Huskies in another elimination game at 5:30 PM against the loser of Seton Hill-Shippensburg. Shippensburg and Seton Hill play at 12:00 PM tomorrow.
