Shippensburg, Pa. – The Millersville softball team clinched the programs first-ever trip to the PSAC Tournament with a split against Shippensburg on Friday afternoon. The Marauders notched a 2-0 opening win over the home standing Raiders, but a six-run first inning powered Shippensburg to a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.
 
Millersville (20-14, 7-5 PSAC) and Shippensburg (15-22, 3-9 PSAC) had an old-fashioned pitcher's duel in game one as senior Brianna Andraos improved to 10-8 on the season by scattering six hits with seven strikeouts in a 121-pitch complete game shutout.  Andraos is 11 punchouts away from breaking the program's career strikeout record of 302 set in 2003 by former Marauder great Laura Harris.
 
The difference in game one was a one-out, first pitch, two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning off of the bat of junior Brittany Smith that scored Jaime Trewhella and gave the Ville the 2-0 lead. Andraos allowed a hit in bottom half of the inning as well as in the seventh, but worked out of trouble for her 23^rd career shutout.
 
Millersville trailed 6-0 after the first inning of game two, but nearly rallied scoring a pair of runs in the second and fourth innings and added another tally in the third to pull within striking distance in the top of the seventh.
 
Down 7-5, Megan McCurdy pinch hit for Tori Kinsella and singled through the right side to get things going in the seventh inning. Melanie Snyder worked a six-pitch walk, before Megan Hallock ripped a single to center field that scored McCurdy. Kirsten Hertzog entered the game for Snyder as a pinch runner and advanced to third along with Hallock who advanced to second on a wild pitch. However, both runners were left stranded as Tayrn Wilson struck out Heather Lutz for the final out of the game.
 
Lutz was 2-for-4 in the nightcap with a two hits, including a second inning two-run homer. Raeann Buskey and Maria Spinosa also had multi-hit games. The Marauders had 16 hits on the afternoon and improved their combined batting average to .296, which is good for fifth best in the PSAC.
 
Millersville returns to action tomorrow afternoon when it hosts No. 12 West Chester for a twin bill at the Millersville Softball Field. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.