ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team lost its first contest on the road at Mercyhurst University, 4-0, but bounced back with a 7-4 victory in game two of the set. It was SRU's first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory of 2018.
Slippery Rock got shut out in game one, 4-0. The team only mustered three hits against Mercyhurst pitcher, Tori Pierucci.
Megan Brown extended her hitting streak to nine games and stole two bases.
Game two was a different story as SRU pushed across 12 hits en route to a 7-4 win.
McKenzie Garland went 3-for-3 with a home run and
Becca Roesch was 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
Slippery Rock improves to 14-13 overall and 1-3 in the PSAC West while Mercyhurst is now 5-19 and 2-4 PSAC West games.
GAME ONE: Mercyhurst 4 – Slippery Rock 0
Brown and
Emily Nagle managed the only hits for Slippery Rock as
Camie Shumaker and
Brooke Dawson battled in the circle, but it was not enough for The Rock to mount a comeback as they fell, 4-0.
The Lakers scored early in the first inning as Cassandra Egelston walked to lead off the frame. She then stole second and third, and Jolene Teller singled her in to put Mercyhurst ahead. MU loaded the bases later in the inning, which allowed Lindsey Parese to hit a sacrifice fly scoring Teller.
In the top of the third, SRU managed a little two-out rally when Nagle singled and stole second. Brown then singled to move her to third and would also steal second, but
Kailey Myers grounded out to end the frame.
Mercyhurst scored in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double by Emma LeGendre, and would score again in the bottom of the fifth on a Sarah Koscho RBI single taking a 4-0 lead.
Pierucci (3-8) retired the next nine Slippery Rock hitters to finish off the complete-game shutout. She surrendered just three hits and struck out seven batters.
Shumaker (5-3) took the loss going 4.0 innings surrendering three runs on four hits and striking out one.
Dawson pitched 2.0 innings of work allowing one run on three hits and punching out four.
GAME TWO: Slippery Rock 7 – Mercyhurst 4
Home runs from Roesch, Garland and
Leah Vith helped Slippery Rock earn a 7-4 victory over Mercyhurst in game two.
Paige Flore earned her third win of the year in the circle.
The scoring began in the second inning for SRU. After a
Lauren Hawley walk to lead off the inning, Roesch then clobbered one over the wall to give The Rock an early 2-0 lead. It was her fourth home run of the season.
In the top of the third, Nagle singled, Brown singled and Hawley later singled to drive in Nagle. Roesch then came up to drive in Brown on a sacrifice fly.
Mercyhurst managed a run in the bottom of the third to crack the scoreboard when Ellie Dougher grounded out scoring Taylor Fry.
The Rock answered back in the fourth though when Garland led off the inning with a solo home run. It was Garland's first home run of the 2018 campaign. Slippery Rock took a 5-1 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, the Lakers cut the deficit to two runs on an Ariana Brone RBI single. LeGendre then hit an RBI double later in the inning to make it 5-3 Rock.
Looking for insurance runs in the top of the seventh, Vith came in to pinch-hit for
Caitlyn MacKelvey and slugged one over the wall for her first career home run. Later in the inning, Myers roped an RBI single to score Brown giving The Rock a 7-3 advantage.
The Lakers got one back in the bottom of the seventh, but that would be all as Slippery Rock held on for a 7-4 win snapping a five-game losing streak.
Flore (3-1) earned the win going 5.0 innings allowing three runs on six hits striking out three, and walking four.
Heather Nye (1-3) took the loss going 2.0 innings surrendering two runs on two hits and two walks.
Slippery Rock is back in action tomorrow with a PSAC West doubleheader against California (Pa.). First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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