SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.- The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped a pair of close games against No. 13 California (Pa.) in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division opener on Friday afternoon at the SRU Softball Complex.
 
The Rock nearly upset the Vulcans in Game One, but the visitors scored three runs in the top of the seventh to edge The Rock 5-4. Cal U grinded out Game Two and came away with a 3-1 win.
 
SRU falls to 9-12 overall and opens up conference action at 0-2. With the wins, California improves to 15-1 and 2-0 in the PSAC-West. 
 
Senior Katie Kaiser and sophomore Emily Nagle led The Rock's offense for the day with three hits apiece.
 
Game One: California (Pa.) 5, Slippery Rock 4
Junior Caitlin Baxter cracked a home run to left center in the bottom of the second inning to give The Rock a one-run lead over California in Game One. The Vulcans recorded a home run of their own in the top of the next inning to tie it up 1-1.  
 
Sophomore Allie Fischer busted her first homer of the season in the fifth inning to right center to put The Rock back on top. The Vulcans scored another run in the top of the sixth to tie it up once more.
 
Sophomore Lauren Hawley kept the big hits going for Slippery Rock in the bottom of the sixth inning when she smacked an RBI home run to centerfield to put SRU up 4-2.
 
With two on base in the top of the seventh, Cal U homered to right field to score three runs and get ahead of The Rock for the first time in the contest. SRU recorded one hit in the bottom of the inning and left two on base, but was unable to score.
 
Sophomore lefty Brooke Dawson (2-6) was credited with the loss for Slippery Rock after pitching a complete game. She struck out five and gave up five runs (four earned).
 
Game Two: California (Pa.) 3, Slippery Rock 1
After a relatively slow start, the Vulcans plated two runs in the top of the fourth inning and one more in the sixth to lead SRU 3-0. The Rock didn't go away quietly, however, as they recorded three hits that led to a run in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Senior Ashley Samluk got things going for SRU with a double to centerfield. Senior Stacey Herzog hit an RBI single to left field to score Samluk and give The Rock some life in Game Two.
 
Sophomore Paige Flore (3-3) took the loss in the nightcap after pitching 5.1 innings. Junior Carly DeRose came in for relief and pitched 1.2 innings and struck out one.
 
Slippery Rock will host Seton Hill tomorrow for a PSAC-West doubleheader, with the first pitch of the day scheduled for 1 p.m.