CLERMONT, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped a 5-0 decision to Kutztown University Thursday night at the National Training Center Tournament in Clermont, Florida.
 
Two nights after Kutztown handed The Rock a 3-2 walk-off loss, the Golden Bears scored five runs in the first two innings and shut down the SRU offense to pick up their second win of the season over Slippery Rock, this time by a score of 5-0.
 
Junior Megan Maloney picked up a hit to extend her hitting streak to five games, while sophomores McKenzie Popatak, Stacey Herzog and Eliza Sykes picked up The Rock's other hits.
 
The Rock's offense was limited to four hits by the reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week Savannah Nierintz, who picked up the complete game victory to improve to 7-0 on the season.
 
Two Slippery Rock errors in the top of the first extended the inning and allowed the Golden Bears to score the game's first three runs. A two-out two RBI double in the top of the second gave Kutztown a 5-0 lead after two, and the score remained unchanged from there.
 
Sophomore Carly DeRose was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-3 on the season, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits in 2.0 innings pitched. PSAC West Pitcher of the Week Brooke Dawson took over for DeRose in the third and held the Golden Bears to one hit in five scoreless innings of relief.
 
With the loss, Slippery Rock falls to 3-6 on the season, while Kutztown improves to 10-3 with the victory.
 
The Rock returns to action Friday at 7 p.m. against Millersville University to conclude the NTC Tournament.