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ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped a pair of games at first-place Gannon Tuesday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action from the Gannon University Softball Field.
 
The Golden Knights exploded for four runs midway through the opener and went on to defeat The Rock 9-2, before securing a 12-4 victory in game two to pick up the sweep.
 
Junior Katie Kaiser picked up hits in each game to extend her hitting-streak to a career-high 14 games. Kaiser finished the day with a 3-for-7 performance from the plate with a pair of runs.
 
Senior Taylor Welch went 2-for-6 with a pair of runs scored and a RBI, while junior Stacey Herzog picked up three RBI on the day.
 
In game one, Welch struck first with a solo blast over the left field fence to give The Rock the game's first lead in the top half of the first.
 
Alyssa Bates answered for Gannon with a two-run home run in the bottom half of the first, before a RBI single in the second from Rock freshman Lauren Hawley knotted the game at 2-2.
 
The Golden Knights added a run in the second to retake the lead, before exploding for four runs on five consecutive hits to surge ahead 7-2 in the third. Gannon added two runs in the fifth and cruised to the 9-2 victory.
 
Freshman Marissa Harris got the start and received the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings pitched. Classmate Brooke Dawson appeared in relief and allowed two runs on five hits and four strikeouts over the final 3.1 innings.
 
Olivia Gumbita was dominant from the circle for Gannon, racking up 11 strikeouts in seven innings to pick up the win and improve to 11-2 on the season.
 
Welch picked up a home run and a walk in three at-bats, while Hawley went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and RBI.
 
In the nightcap, Slippery Rock plated a run in the first to take the game's first lead.
 
A Slippery Rock error allowed Gannon to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, sending Gannon to the second with a 2-1 lead. The Golden Knights were aided by a sudden downpour that prompted four wild pitches in the second, as they extended their lead with five runs to surge ahead 7-1.
 
Kaiser singled and Welch smacked a ground-rule double to spark a Slippery Rock rally in the third. After a walk loaded the bases, Herzog answered the bell for The Rock with a two-run double to right field. SRU plated three runs in the inning to cut Gannon's lead to 7-4.
 
Gannon added a run in the bottom of the third, before scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to pick up the 12-4 victory.
 
Sophomore Carly DeRose was tagged with the loss to fall to 8-10 on the season. DeRose allowed 12 runs (nine earned) on 12 hits and five walks in 5.1 innings pitched.
 
With the losses, Slippery Rock falls to 14-20 on the season and 11-13 in conference action. Meanwhile, Gannon improved on its lead in the PSAC-West at 21-8 overall and 15-3 in league play.
 
The teams meet for a rematch in Slippery Rock Wednesday. First pitch from the SRU Softball Complex is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.