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CLARION, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped a pair against Clarion University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action Saturday afternoon from Clarion, Pa.
 
The Golden Eagles secured a 1-0 victory in Game 1 with a walk-off win in 10 innings, before the hosts secured the sweep with a 6-3 victory in Game 2.
 
Pitching dominated the opener as Slippery Rock and Clarion combined for 24 strikeouts and only nine hits, while leaving 14 runners on base through the first nine innings.
 
Sophomore third baseman Ashley Samluk threatened with a leadoff double in the seventh, but was stranded after three straight strikeouts. Samluk singled to put runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth, but The Rock came up empty again as Clarion pitcher Shawnna Crago induced a groundball to escape the inning. Slippery Rock was retired in order in the 10^th inning before the Golden Eagles capitalized on a Rock error to plate the game-winning run in the bottom of the frame.
 
Senior pitcher Emily Lobdell was the hard-luck loser in Game 1. Lobdell scattered six hits, struck out 11 and walked none over nine innings of shutout work. She was tagged for the loss after allowing an unearned run in the bottom of the 10^th inning.
 
Crago was equally impressive for Clarion, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out 13 in a 10-inning shutout victory.
 
Samluk was the only player to record multiple hits in Game 1, finishing 2-for-4 with a double. Freshman outfielder Eliza Sykes recorded the only other hit for SRU.
 
The win was Clarion's first conference win since April of 2011, snapping a string of 56 straight losses in PSAC action.
 
In the nightcap, Sykes singled to lead off the top of the first for Slippery Rock. After a sacrifice bunt moved her into scoring position, Samluk hit a single and advanced to second on a passed ball to put two runners in scoring position for The Rock. Freshman catcher McKenzie Popatak knocked a two-out two-RBI single to put SRU up 2-0. Clarion answered with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the frame to make the score 2-1`in favor of the visitors after the first inning.
 
The Golden Eagles tied the game with a pair of doubles in the bottom of the third inning before The Rock regained a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly from Samluk in the fifth. The lead was short-lived, however, as Clarion led off the bottom of the inning with consecutive walks and a RBI single down the left field line to tie the game at 3-3. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases with no outs and plated a pair of runs on an untimely Slippery Rock error, before adding another on a sacrifice fly to give the hosts a 6-3 lead after five innings.
 
The Rock went quietly in the sixth and seventh innings and Clarion hung on to win 6-3 and secure the sweep.
 
Freshman Carly DeRose received the loss after allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings pitched. Lobdell made an appearance in relief and held the Golden Eagles scoreless on one hit in 1.2 innings.
 
Samluk went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI, while Sykes went 2-for-4 with two runs and Popatak went 1-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the offense for Slippery Rock.
 
Paige Baker earned the win for Clarion after allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits in a complete game performance. Taylor Powell went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs, while Ashley Barenchik went 2-for-4 with two runs, a RBI and double to pace the Golden Eagles' offense.
 
With the losses, Slippery Rock drops to 13-20 overall and 9-11 in conference action. Clarion improved to 3-22 overall and 2-16 in PSAC play. SRU sits in fourth place of the PSAC-West after the sweep.
 
The Rock returns to action with a non-conference doubleheader with Salem Ineternational University Monday. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. from the SRU Softball Complex.