CLERMONT, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University softball team managed a two-win Sunday at the NTC Softball Tournament in Clermont, Florida.
 
Brooke Dawson cruised her way to a complete-game shutout victory over Illinois-Springfield in the morning. The Rock registered four runs in the affair and won, 4-0.
 
In game two, Slippery Rock posted 13 hits and put up 12 runs in six innings to defeat Saint Michael's, 12-4.
 
GAME ONE: Slippery Rock 4 – Illinois-Springfield 0
After a stagnant first four innings from both teams, The Rock finally broke through in the fifth. Becca Roesch got things started with a solo home run to left field. It was Roesch's first career home run and SRU took a 1-0 lead.
 
In the top of the sixth, Slippery Rock added another run with some timely hits. Allie Fischer led off the inning with a single through the middle and Leah Vith bunted her over. Alexa Guglielmino singled to put two runners on with one out. After Cortney Claypoole flied out to left, Emily Nagle provided a clutch single to score Fischer and make it a 2-0 game.
 
With a 2-0 lead, Dawson continued her strong outing in the bottom of the sixth. UIS singled with one out to put a runner on. Following a sac bunt, she got Morgan Edwards to fly out to end the frame.
 
The Rock would later plate two more big insurance runs in the top of the seventh. To lead off the inning, Roesch smoked her second home run of the day over the centerfield fence. The last SRU player with a multi-home run game was Stacey Herzog back on April 19, 2015 at Mercyhurst where she also blasted two.
 
Following the home run, Lauren Hawley singled, which forced Illinois-Springfield to make a pitching change. With two outs, Leah Vith ripped an RBI single that scored pinch-runner Julia Cepis and make it a 4-0 lead.
 
Dawson hurled a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh inning earning the complete-game shutout.
 
For Dawson (3-3), she surrendered just three hits and struck out three earning the victory. She earns her 28th career victory tying her for fourth all-time in Slippery Rock history. Her 10th career shutout is now tied for first all-time in the category.
 
Slippery Rock improved to 8-4 on the season, while UIS falls to 10-6. The Rock also picked up its first win of the spring break games.
 
GAME TWO: Slippery Rock 12 – Saint Michael's 4 (six innings)
Paige Flore kept hitters at bay, while Emily Nagle, Megan Brown, Hawley and Guglielmino recorded two hits apiece rolling to a victory.
 
The Rock got started early with an RBI single from Hawley in the first inning. It was her 54th career RBI which puts her tied for 14th on Slippery Rock softball's all-time list.
 
In the second, SRU tacked on three more runs on extra-base hits from Guglielmino and Nagle. Guglielmino roped an RBI double and Nagle slashed an RBI triple that scored two. Rock took a 4-0 lead.
 
After Saint Michael's got one back in the top of the third, Slippery Rock rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Nagle drove in Guglielmino to make it 5-1 and later Roesch singled to drive in Brown and Nagle to give The Rock a 7-1 lead.
 
Saint Michael's made it a three-run ball game in the top of the fifth, but The Rock posted a five-run bottom of the seventh to end the game via eight-run rule. Caitlyn MacKelvey, Kailey Myers, Allie Fischer, McKenzie Garland and Guglielmino all scored runs in the inning and The Rock won the game, 12-4.
 
Camie Shumaker entered for Flore (2-0) in the fifth, but Flore earned the win going 4.0 innings surrendering one run and striking out two. Shumaker pitched two innings and allowed three runs while punching out one.  
 
Slippery Rock won both games on the day improving to 9-4 on the season. It's The Rock's best 13-game start to a season since 2011 where it was 11-2 to begin the year.
 
SRU is back in action tomorrow in Clermont, Florida with two more contests. The Rock will play Charleston (W. Va.) at 9 a.m. and finish off their day with an 11:30 a.m. start against Northwood.



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