CLERMONT, Fla.- The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped a pair of close games on Thursday at the National Training Center Tournament in Clermont, Florida.

SRU (7-8) tied the game in the top of the sixth inning against No. 21 West Chester University, but came away with the loss after the nationally-ranked Golden Rams scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to win 10-7. The Rock also fell to Upper Iowa 1-0 in eight innings later in the afternoon.  

One of the biggest offensive highlights of the day came against WCU when junior Caitlin Baxter hit a grand slam to left center to tie the game up 7-7 in the sixth inning. Junior Emily Nagle had three hits and two RBI on the day and also recorded her first career home run against the Golden Rams. Senior Megan Maloney also registered three hits and scored two runs on Day Five to round out the leaders.

Sophomore Paige Flore took the loss against WCU after she recorded three strikeouts and allowed six hits and nine walks.

Junior Carly DeRose was tagged with the loss against Upper Iowa despite striking out eight batters and only allowing three hits and one walk.

Game One: West Chester 10, Slippery Rock 7
Maloney sparked The Rock's impressive first inning with a single up the middle. She reached home two at-bats later when senior Stacey Herzog hit an RBI double to left field. Nagle homered to right center that scored Herzog and gave The Rock a 3-0 lead.

WCU plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning, four in the second and one more in the third inning to lead 7-3.

Slippery Rock's comeback attempt in the sixth inning was started by Maloney's single to left field. Senior Ashley Samluk grounded out and advanced Maloney to second, Herzog reached on a fielder's choice, and Nagle singled up the middle to load the bases. Baxter cracked her grand slam to tie it up 7-7.

West Chester recorded two hits and three runs in the bottom of the inning and then held SRU scoreless in the top of the seventh to earn the win.

Game Two: Upper Iowa 1, Slippery Rock 0
SRU registered four hits in the loss to Upper Iowa but neither team was able to score until extra innings. Upper Iowa scored on a passed ball in the top of the eighth to win the game.

Maloney, Samluk, Nagle and sophomore Allie Fischer all recorded hits in Game Two.