LHU Softball drops a pair of close battles at Shippensburg

SHIPPENSBURG– The Lock Haven softball team (6-14, 2-6 PSAC East) fell twice to Shippensburg University, 3-0 and 3-1, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division battles on Tuesday afternoon (March 26).

Tuesday’s doubleheader marked the fifth and sixth games in four days for the Bald Eagles, who wrapped up a busy stretch to open their PSAC Eastern Division schedule.

Game 1 Recap: Shippensburg 3, Lock Haven 0

In game one, Shippensburg jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after two innings.

Keiva Middleton (Willow Street, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) took the mound for The Haven with one out in the second inning and was nearly flawless in relief. The sophomore held the Raiders off the scoreboard for the final 4 and 2/3 innings, allowing just four hits, while striking out a pair.

Lock Haven threatened by loading the bases in the top of the seventh, but the Raiders worked out of the jam to secure the victory.

Lock Haven nearly matched the Raiders in hits (9-8), but Shippensburg’s early-inning rally proved to be the difference.

Lock Haven left nine runners on base in the contest.

Delaney Good (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg), Madison Melius (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) and Maria Fratangelo (Pittsburgh, Pa./Georgetown College) led The Haven with two hits each.

Game 2 Recap: Shippensburg 3, Lock Haven 1

In game two, Shippensburg opened the scoring with a solo run in the bottom of the second inning, but Lock Haven responded with the equalizer during its next at-bats to knot the score at 1-1.

Haley Lestician (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) worked a leadoff walk, stole second and came around to score on an RBI-single by Good.

After giving up a run in the second, game two Bald Eagle starting pitcher Faith Persing (Montgomery, Pa./Bloomsburg) settled in nicely and didn’t allow another run until the bottom of the fifth inning when Shippensburg pushed across the go-ahead score.

Shippensburg added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, before retiring the side in the seventh to clinch the sweep.

Despite the loss, Persing pitched well, allowing three runs on just three hits in five-complete innings of work. Middleton, who pitched four-plus innings in game one, tossed a scoreless inning in relief in game two.

Four different Bald Eagles recorded hits, highlighted by Good’s RBI single.

NEXT UP:

The Bald Eagles remain on the road and will travel to Millersville on Friday (March 29) for a PSAC East doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.