SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – On the heels of a sweep over Lock Haven the day before, the Marauders traveled to Shippensburg for a clash with the Raiders. Despite the momentum, Millersville fell 6-1 in the first game before being walked off in the second game after staging a five-run comeback. 

GAME ONE:
The Marauders grabbed an early lead by manufacturing a run without a hit. Sam Fried got hit by a pitch to start the game and promptly stole second base. She advanced to third on a groundout and Gabby D'Ottavio brought her home with a sacrifice fly to right field for the 1-0 advantage. 
 
From there on out it was all Shippensburg. Senior Alex Schaefer started the game in the circle for the Marauders and kept the hosts off the board for the first two frames. The Raiders got their first runs of the game in the third inning with a two-run home run and extended their lead to four after a three-run bottom of the fourth. Schaefer was relieved by Angelina Saverase after allowing five earned runs over 3.1 innings pitched. Saverase got two outs without allowing a run and Nicolina Pezzone hurled the last two innings, both scoreless. 
 
Millersville put two runners on in the top of the seventh with no outs but didn't get the big hit to continue the rally and fell 6-1.

GAME TWO:
Looking to bounce back in the latter half of the twin-bill, Millersville head coach Jen Probst sent Morgan Crutcher to the rubber. Fresh off of recording her two-hundredth career strikeout yesterday against Lock Haven, Crutcher dealt a scoreless bottom of the first before running into trouble in the second. The Raiders tagged her for three runs in the frame by way of two hits and two walks. Angelina Edwards doubled to start off the visitors' next at-bat and came around to score on a Fried single. 
 
Shippensburg got to Crutcher for three runs once more in their half of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 6-1. Three hits, a walk, and two stolen bases were the culprit this time. Pezzone came on in relief to start the fifth inning and threw two more shutdown innings to give the Marauders a chance at a comeback. 
 
They jumped on that opportunity in the top of the sixth inning. Kendra Bumgardner, who fell victim to a few line-drive outs against the Bald Eagles, found turf with a leadoff double. After a walk, Edwards came through with her second double of the game, this time to bring home Bumgardner. A hit batter and a popout later, Gabi Turner came to the plate with the bases full. Turner, who's had a penchant for delivering in the clutch in 2024, did so once more with a bases-clearing double to tie the game at six. That's all the Marauders would get in the frame and entered the seventh looking to take the lead. Taylor Campagna doubled with one out but was stranded there. 
 
Two hits in the bottom of the inning brought the deciding run home and the Raiders won 7-6.
 
GAME NOTES

• Schaefer ended her outing with four strikeouts, putting her career total at 399. When she reaches 400, she will become the first player in Millersville softball history to do so. 
• The two losses put the Marauders at an even 5-5 in conference play so far this season. They are now tied with Kutztown for fifth place in the PSAC's East Division.

POSTGAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH JEN PROBST

• On the clutch hitting of Turner: "It's exciting to have her up in those big situations because she's a 5th year with a ton of experience to fall back on."
• On the all-around performance of Pezzone: "Nicolina was locked in during both of her appearances. She's worked so hard this year and just keeps getting better. She also had two quality at bats that helped to generate some offense late in the game."  

UP NEXT

• The Marauders host Shepherd at Seaber Softball Stadium on April 2 beginning at 2 p.m.