INDIANA, Pa. – Kassie Kesneck and Kaitlyn Beers combined for seven hits but Shippensburg's bats were too hot Saturday as the Crimson Hawks dropped both ends of a softball doubleheader at Podbielski Field. The Raiders won the opener 15-4 in five innings and game two 9-3.
 
It was the home opener and first of back-to-back doubleheaders at Podbielski Field this weekend.
 
Kesneck finished the day a combined 4-7 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. Beers went 3-7 with a solo home run. Brooklyn Kotula hit IUP's other homer as the Crimson Hawks totaled 17 hits on the day but also struck out 17 times and left 16 on base.
 
Shippensburg (13-7) had 27 hits, including 11 for extra bases, and took advantage of five IUP errors to score 24 runs on the day.
 
With the losses the Crimson Hawks drop to 4-13-1 on the year.
 
Game one
Shippensburg struck early with two runs off Kotula in the first inning. The Raiders then brought seven across the plate on six hits in the third to open up a 9-0 lead.
 
The Crimson Hawks came back in the bottom half, getting an RBI single from Kesneck before Kotula blasted a 3-run homer as they cut their deficit to 9-4.
 
The Raiders kept their momentum, however, adding one run in the fourth and five more in the fifth.
 
Game two
IUP opened the scoring in the nightcap with a 2-out error helping to bring Kesneck across in the bottom of the first.
 
Game two starter Lauren Zola kept the Raiders scoreless through four inning, scattering four hits while striking out two. Shippensburg took the lead in the fifth with three runs before the Crimson Hawks came right back and tied it in the bottom half on Beers' solo shot and an RBI double by Rachel Rodriguez.
 
The Raiders took the lead for good in the sixth using three hits and three IUP errors to score five runs, adding an insurance score in the seventh.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks look to bounce back Sunday with a home doubleheader against Mercyhurst (2-17). First pitch is 1 p.m.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoftball.