Courtesy of Lock Haven Athletics

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University softball team played at home for the first time this season, and the Bald Eagles (9-7, 0-2 PSAC East) hosted Shippensburg University (9-6, 3-1 PSAC East) in The Haven’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division opener. Visiting Shippensburg edged out Lock Haven 5-4 in game one, and the Raiders edged LHU 6-4 in another tight contest during game two.

Shippensburg grinded out the win in game one, winning a tight battle, 5-4. The visitors scored five runs on 11 hits and Lock Haven scored four runs on five hits. All five hits came from five different players.

Rianna Trexler (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte), Haley Lestician (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence), Bella Schmitt (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York), and Maci Brodzina (Warriors Mark, Pa./Tyrone Area) each drove in a run for LHU in game one.

Pitcher Jada Schellhammer (Tamaqua, Pa./Tamaqua) put in a strong effort in going the distance. She allowed just two walks over seven innings.

Shippensburg struck quick in game one and scored three runs in the top of the first. The Bald Eagles were quick to respond, and it was just 3-2 Ship after one. Down 5-3, Trexler singled in a run for Lock Haven in the fifth to make it 5-4, but that score line held.

Shippensburg was able to edge out Lock Haven again in game two, 6-4, despite a late-game rally from Lock Haven that was highlighted by a pair of sixth-inning home runs.

Sydney Arrigale (Blackwood, N.J./Highland Regional) homered in the sixth and Summer Peters (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) hit a two-run home run in sixth. The three runs by way of the two Lock Haven home runs cut the Shippensburg lead to 6-4.

Lestician was 2-for-4 at the plate in game two.

Pitcher Kinley Gioglio (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) was impressive in relief. Over the final 3 and 1/3 innings, she scattered four hits and struck out three, while issuing one walk.

Lock Haven’s four runs came off 10 hits and Shippensburg produced six runs on 13 hits.

Up Next for Lock Haven:

The Bald Eagles will be right back in action tomorrow (Wednesday, March 22) when they host Pitt-Johnstown at 1 p.m. (DH, 1/3 p.m.) in PSAC East-West crossover action.