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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team split with Seton Hill in its home and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division openers Saturday at the SRU Softball Complex.
 
In Game 1, freshman Eliza Sykes sliced a single into left field to score fellow freshman McKenzie Popatak with the bases loaded in the second inning to give The Rock the early 1-0 advantage. Popatak crushed a Griffin offering over the right field wall in the third inning to push SRU's lead to 2-0.
 
An error by Seton Hill extended the fourth inning for Slippery Rock and senior Breanna Tongel capitalized with a double off the right field fence to give The Rock a 5-0 lead. Tongel added another RBI single in the sixth to give SRU the 6-0 advantage.
 
Senior Emily Lobdell pitched a gem to shut down a powerful Griffin offense. Lobdell scattered six hits in seven scoreless innings to pick up the complete game victory and improve to her record to 3-3.
 
Tongel went two for four with three RBI and Sykes picked up three hits in four at bats with a run scored and a RBI to pace The Rock's offense. Popatak homered and scored two runs in two official at bats, while junior Taylor Welch went two for two with a run scored.
 
In the nightcap, Seton Hill jumped ahead on a trio of home runs in the second and third innings. Hope Pehrson put the visitors ahead with a two-run shot over the left field wall in the second, before Christine Henderson and Carlee Wickstrom hit back-to-back long balls in the third inning to give the Griffins a 5-0 advantage.
 
Sophomore Megan Maloney singled home Welch to put The Rock on the board in the bottom of the third. Welch smacked a deep two-run shot over the centerfield wall in the sixth to bring SRU within two, but The Rock could not complete the comeback and fell 5-3.
 
Welch led SRU's offense and was two for two in the second game with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two RBI.
 
Freshman Carly DeRose was tagged with loss after allowing four runs on six hits in two innings to fall to 2-5 on the season. Freshman Sarah Petrash allowed one run on three hits in 2.1 innings of relief, before Lobdell tossed 2.2 scoreless innings in her second appearance of the day.
 
The split improves Slippery Rock's record to 5-10 on the season and 1-1 in the PSAC-West, while Seton Hill falls to 13-3 and 3-1 in the PSAC-West.
 
SRU returns to action Sunday, March 30 against Edinboro at the SRU Softball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.