ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader Saturday at Mercyhurst University.
 
Slippery Rock rolled to a 13-2 five-inning win in game one before dropping game two to the Lakers, 3-2. With the split, SRU's record moves to 16-19 overall and 6-8 in league competition. Mercyhurst is now 12-26-1 overall and 5-9 in PSAC West games.
 
Machala Andrews had one of her top performances to date in the doubleheader with a 3-for-5, two-run, two-RBI effort. Andrews has now driven in six runs over The Rock's last four games.
 
Caitlin Baxter extended her hitting streak to five games by going 3-for-7 over the doubleheader with two RBI and one run scored.
 
McKenzie Garland also had a solid outing against the Lakers as she collected hits in both games, finishing 2-for-5 with three runs scored and one double.
 
Emily Nagle went hitless in the opener, but rebounded in game two by recording two hits. Nagle, who is batting .450 in 2017, has needed just 35 games to produce 58 hits this year. She'll enter SRU's home doubleheader on Sunday against Seton Hill University needing two hits to tie, and three to break, the Slippery Rock record for hits in single-season. The record is currently held by head coach Stacey Rice, who had 60 hits in 48 games in 2007.
 
GAME ONE: Slippery Rock 13 – Mercyhurst 2 (Five innings)
Slippery Rock parlayed two big innings into its third mercy-rule win of the season. The 11-run win was The Rock's largest margin of victory this year.
 
SRU first exploded for five runs in the second inning to break a 0-0 tie. With the bases loaded and one out, Andrews drew a walk to bring in the game's first run. Fellow freshman Alexa Guglielmino followed Andrews with a single that brought in Nicole Siciliano from third base while a fielding error by Mercyhurst's centerfielder on the play allowed Garland to score from second. Another fielding error later in the inning plated two more Rock runs before the Lakers could get out of the inning.
 
Slippery Rock put the game out of reach with an eight-run fifth inning that was highlighted by a two-run home run from Lauren Hawley and a two-run double by Baxter. Guglielmino and Megan Brown also had RBI-singles in the inning. The Lakers were able to avoid the shutout with two runs in the bottom half of the fifth, but never seriously threatened SRU's sizeable lead.
 
Carly DeRose (6-7) earned the win for Slippery Rock after scattering two runs on five hits and two walks over five innings while striking out four batters. DeRose now has 28 career victories, two away from tying Shauna Walker's (2008-11) program record 30 wins.
 
Baxter, Andrews and Guglielmino each recorded two hits in the opener with Baxter and Guglielmino also driving in two runs apiece. Hawley's home run was her third of the season and second in as many games.
 
GAME TWO: Mercyhurst 3 – Slippery Rock 2
Slippery Rock was unable to carry over its offensive firepower into game two, as SRU accounted for just six hits and two runs in the one-run nightcap loss.
 
Mercyhurst scored once in the first inning by way of a Rachel DiBartolomeo sacrifice fly out that plated Ellie Dougher in addition to scoring twice in the fifth inning for what turned out to be a pair of much-needed insurance runs.
 
SRU trailed 3-0 with two outs in the seventh inning and Mercyhurst pitcher Anna Cochis appeared poised to register the complete-game shutout, but Slippery Rock fought back with a commendable two-out rally. The late surge started when Garland reached second base on a Mercyhurst fielding error. Andrews then belted a single to left field that scored Garland to trim the Lakers' lead down to 3-1. Guglielmino followed suit with a hit that gave SRU runners on second and third.
 
The Rock once again took advantage of a Mercyhurst fielding miscue as Caitlyn MacKelvey, who pinch ran for Andrews earlier in the inning, scored from third base when the Lakers' shortstop was unable to cleanly field a ball hit to the hole by Nagle.   
 
However, Slippery Rock's comeback bid would be shut down in the following at-bat as Cochis was finally able to get out of the jam and escape with a 3-2 win by inducing a game-ending groundout to third base by Brown.
 
Pitcher Brooke Dawson (10-7) did a great job keeping The Rock in the contest throughout the game. Dawson finished 16th start of the season allowing three runs, only two of which were earned, on eight hits and one walk to go with three strikeouts.
 
Nagle finished game two 2-for-4. Baxter, Garland, Andrews and Guglielmino all had hits as well with Andrews tallying one RBI.
 
Slippery Rock will host Seton Hill for a doubleheader Sunday at the SRU Softball Complex. Game one is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
 
 
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