The Griffin softball team played a pair of games in the PSAC Tournament at Veterans Park in Quakertown, PA on Wednesday afternoon.
Shippensburg scored early and they scored late in a 15-10 victory over the Griffins in their first game of the tournament. California (PA) then eliminated the Griffins from the tournament with a walk off 5-4 win in the eighth inning of their elimination game. SHU is now 29-17 on the season.
Shippensburg jumped on the Griffins scoring six times in their first two at bats as they led 6-0 after an inning and a half.
The Griffins scored twice in the second inning.
Lauren Dellett walked to lead off the inning. After an out,
Mackenzie Zang was hit by a pitch.
Brooklyn Fukushima singled to load the bases.
Bre Athey then delivered a two out, two RBI single to cut the lead to 6-2.
The bats came alive for the Griffins in the third. With one out,
Camryn Murphy reached on an error. After a fielders choice, Dellett singled.
Brooke Cleland singled to score Murphy and make it 6-3. Dellett scored when Zang reached on an error. Both Cleland and Zang scored when Fukushima reached on an error.
Abby Smearman then homered to center field to give SHU an 8-6 lead.
The Raiders got a solo homer in the fifth to cut the lead to 8-7. Ship tied the score at eight in the sixth.
Nina Grandey scored a run on her own in the bottom of the sixth. She singled to lead off the inning, stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly from Murphy as SHU took a 9-8 lead.
Shippensburg used two home runs to score seven times in the seventh as they took a 15-9 lead. Cleland homered in the bottom half of the inning.
Cleland led the offense with three hits. Grandey, Dellett and Fukushima each added two hits.
SHU took an early lead in the contest with CalU. With two outs in the first,
Grace Paredes homered to right field. The Griffins added another run in the second. Fukushima walked to lead off the inning. She moved to second on a ground out and third on a single from Athey. Fukushima scored when Athey reached second on an error.
CalU tied the game at two with a two run homer in the bottom of the fourth. The Griffins retook the lead in the sixth. With one out, Zang was hit by a pitch. Fukushima followed with a line drive homer over the center field wall to put the Griffins in front 4-2. Cal responded right back with a two run homer in the sixth to tie the game at four.
The Vulcans used three straight hits in the eighth to walk off the Griffins.
Grandey and Dellett each had two hits in the contest.
The Griffins now must wait and see if they will earn a bid to the NCAA Atlantic Regional. The bracket will be announced on Monday morning.
