Minnesota-Duluth Box Score
Southwest Minnesota State Box Score


Slippery Rock managed just five hits in its two games and fell to 1-2 overall on the season. 

Freshman pitcher Ashley Knight (0-1) made her Rock debut in SRU's 1-0 loss against Minnesota-Duluth. Knight, a former two-time all-state honoree at Ritchie County High School, scattered five hits and five walks while striking out four batters before surrendering the game-winning run off of a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.

Junior third baseman Jenna Geibel and freshman outfielder Abby Heller recorded hits in the first and second innings, but SRU could not turn either situation into runs.

Kinight and the Bulldog pitching duo of of Sarah Sauter and Megan Mullen all produced quality performances. After seven innings the game was still tied at 0-0.

Duluth managed to break the tie in the top of the eighth inning when Mullen drove in Trya Kerr to give UMD a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of half of the inning.

With one out in the frame, Karra White recorded The Rock's first hit since the fourth inning when she reached base off of a bunt that advanced freshman second baseman Taylor Welch, who was placed on second base to start the inning due to international tiebreaker rules, to third base. However, Welch would be stranded on third base as Mullen retired senior shortstop Kirsten Brant and Geibel to end the game. Duluth improved to 10-8 overall with the win.

Offense was once again at a premium in SRU's nightcap against Southwest Minnesota (8-4). The Rock did not register its first hit of the game until senior pitcher Shaylee Ianno broke up Chelsey Evans' no-hitter with a single in the fourth inning in what turned out to be Slippery Rock's only hit of the contest. 

Ianno (1-1) helped keep the game close early until the Mustangs finally broke through in fourth inning with two runs. After retiring the first two batters, SRU seemed poised to close the door on a quiet inning, but a pair of two-out singles in addition to a throwing error kept the Mustangs alive with runners on second and third. A passed ball allowed the runner from third to score followed by a triple from Bulldog Morgan Peterson to give Southwest Minnesota a 2-0 lead before Ianno was finally able to record the final out of the inning.

SWMS added two more insurance runs in the sixth inning on its way to the 4-0 win.

Ianno finished the day allowing four runs (two earned), eight hits and one walk while striking out five batters.

Aside from Ianno's single, the only other Rock batters to reach base vs. the Bulldogs were Geibel and senior outfielder Natalie Atkinson. Both drew walks in the first and second innings, respectively. With two hits in three games this season, Ianno has already matched her total offensive output from a season ago.

Slippery Rock will look to rebound with a pair of wins Tuesday against Caldwell College at 1 p.m. and Adelphi University at 3 p.m.