Box Scores: Game 1 / Game 2

Millersville, Pa. – Needing to pick up the pace in conference play, the Millersville softball team scored six times in two innings to erase a five-run deficit and pull off a 6-5 win over Shippensburg in game one of a PSAC Eastern Division doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Marauders scored four more times in the first inning of game two and held on late to complete the home sweep with an 8-6 victory.

Lady Raiders' starter Dana Ward silenced Millersville's offense throughout much of her start and allowed only a third inning single to Deanna Schneiderreit over five innings. The Shippensburg (7-15, 0-4 PSAC East) offense was taken care of by Lisamarie Ramagli and Abby Block, each of whom hit two-run home runs. Ramagli's shot came in the first inning and Block's came in the top of the sixth, ending the day of MU starter Alicia Hughes.

Ward's (5-8) sparkling outing came to a screeching halt in the sixth when she allowed four hits and three Millersville (13-12, 2-4 PSAC East) runs. Ally Homa led things off with a double and scored on a single by freshman Anna Libby. Kelly Fitzgerald added a run-scoring single of her own and Jill Golomboski followed with an RBI double to cut Ship's lead to 5-3.

Courtney Eckman, on in relief of Hughes, worked her way through the Lady Raider lineup in the seventh to give her team a shot. The Marauders wouldn't disappoint. MU's first three batters reached base against Ward and Lindsay Hosier connected with a single to make it 5-4. Two batters later Fitzgerald completed the comeback with a two-run walk-off single.

Eckman (4-4) earned Millersville's first PSAC East win of the season by not allowing a run in the 1.2 innings she was called upon to pitch. Ward ended up with the loss and all six runs changed to her were allowed.

Shippensburg tried to return the favor in the late game, but the Marauder offense countered too many times in their 8-6 victory.

Golomboski knocked in a run and Jamie Motsko plated two as the Marauders chased Emily Parkins from the game before she could record three outs. Casey Coker finished off the first inning scoring on a wild pitch that extended MU's lead to 4-0.

Courtney Steele delivered a scary sign of things to come when she took Sarah Signore out of the park to lead off the second inning. The Marauders' pitching staff has had trouble keeping the ball between the fences in each of their last two home doubleheaders and Saturday was no exception.

Millersville pushed the lead to 6-1 in the third when Schneiderreit laced a two-run double down the left field line.

The top of the fourth brought back the home run demons for Millersville. Hope Cornell and Steele left the yard in back-to-back fashion to start the inning and Shippensburg outscored the Marauders 4-2 over the fourth and fifth innings.

The Lady Raiders got as close as 8-6 in the sixth, but Eckman came to the rescue again. The Lancaster native closed out the seventh inning to earn her first save of the season.

Amazingly the Marauders came away with a sweep after getting out-hit by a combined 27-14 margin over the two games.

Signore (6-3) earned the win, but only lasted 4.1 innings and allowed three home runs for the third straight start. She did manage to strike out six, however, and did not walk a batter. Parkins (1-2) took the loss, as Shippensburg was never able to recover from the rough first inning.

Neither Kiersten Darhower nor Chelsea Kendall –Shippensburg's two relievers in the game– could escape damage from the Marauder bats. Both allowed two earned runs in limited work. The Lady Raiders pitching continues to be a bugaboo, as Ward is the only pitcher on the staff with an ERA under 5.00.

Millersville, which jumped back above .500 with the sweep, now gets set for its first PSAC East road games of the season. The Marauders take on early division leader, West Chester, on Tuesday afternoon.