GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team was swept in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader at Seton Hill University Friday in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
 
Slippery Rock held a two-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh in game one, but SHU rallied with three runs in the final half-inning to sneak away with a 4-3 win followed by a 4-1 victory in the night cap. Game two was stopped due to lightning on two occasions before being called following the fifth inning.
 
While not eliminated by any means, Friday's losses were a blow to The Rock's chances of earning a berth into the upcoming PSAC Tournament. With four games to play in the regular season, Slippery Rock is in fourth place in the PSAC West with a league record of 9-7 behind Gannon (14-4), California (9-5) and Seton Hill (11-7). The top three teams in the PSAC West at the end of the regular season qualify for the league tournament and Gannon has already clinched a berth, leaving two spots for three teams still in contention.
 
However, all hope is not lost for The Rock as SRU will finish its regular season this weekend with doubleheaders against Gannon and California. Two sweeps could be enough to get Slippery Rock in.  
 
Alexa Guglielmino was the lone Rock player to record at least one hit in both games on Friday. She went a combined 2-for-5 over the doubleheader. Emily Nagle drove in three of SRU's four runs on the day.
 
GAME ONE: Seton Hill 4 – Slippery Rock 3
Slippery Rock appeared poised to take the opener from the host Griffins before a late seventh-inning rally by Seton Hill resulted in a 4-3 SHU victory.
 
Trailing 1-0 entering the third inning, Slippery Rock posted two runs to take its first lead of the day. With two outs and a runner on first, Nagle put a ball into left field that was misplayed by the SHU left fielder, allowing McKenzie Garland to score and Nagle to reach third base. Nagle scored on the following at-bat when Megan Brown hit an infield single.
 
SRU added to its run total in the seventh when Nagle drove in another run via a double down the left field line that brought in Garland from first base.
 
However, The Rock's 3-1 advantage would be short-lived as Seton Hill came out in the seventh and scored two quick runs to tie the game at 3-3 with a runner on third and one out. Brooke Bower proceeded to win the contest for the Griffins in the next at-back when her fly out to right field scored Courtney Skrabak from third for the walk-off sacrifice fly.
 
Nagle drove in two runs and scored another in the opener while Guglielmino, Brown, Garland, Kailey Myers and Lauren Hawley all had one hit apiece with Brown tallying one RBI and Myers walking once as well.
 
Starting pitcher Brooke Dawson was solid for much of the game in the tough-luck loss. She scattered four runs over 6.1 innings on seven hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts. Paige Flore came on in relief of Dawson to pitch to the final two batters in the loss.
 
GAME TWO: Seton Hill 4 – Slippery Rock 1
Slippery Rock's offense could never quite find its stride in the shortened game two as The Rock was limited to one run on two a three-run defeat.
 
Seton Hill scored all four of its runs in the opening inning and Griffin pitcher Devyn Terry shutdown The Rock in the abbreviated game with just two hits allowed and three walks issued.
 
SRU cut into the Griffins' lead in the fifth inning with one run via a Nagle sacrifice fly that plated Caitlyn MacKelvey. However, The Rock's comeback bid would end there as Terry stranded a runner on third to get out of the jam and maintain a 4-1 Seton Hill lead.
 
Rock starting pitcher Camie Shumaker (7-5) retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth, but Slippery Rock was not granted a chance to bat in the sixth as the game was called due to darkness/lightning, giving Seton Hill a huge league win.
 
Following the shaky first inning, Shumaker did not allow a hit the rest of the game. MacKelvey and Guglielmino tallied Slippery Rock's only hits. Nagle, Myers and Becca Roesch all drew walks as well.
 
Slippery Rock will look to rebound from Friday's sweep with a pair of wins Saturday against PSAC West leader Gannon at the SRU Softball Complex. 1 p.m.
 
 
 
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