ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team defeated Mercyhurst University twice in a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division games Wednesday afternoon at the Mercyhurst University Softball field in Erie, Pennsylvania. After beating the Lakers in game one, 4-1, The Rock rallied for nine runs in game two winning, 9-4.
The Rock were paced by
Camie Shumaker and
Adeline Nicholson. Shumaker earned both wins in the circle and Nicholson clubbed two home runs on the day.
Shumaker held MU to just three hits and one run in game one as
Caitlyn MacKelvey and Nicholson led the way offensively en route to a 4-1 victory.
In game two, after Mercyhurst got things started with four runs, The Rock chipped away and eventually broke the game open in the seventh with four runs holding on for the 9-4 victory.
With SRU's wins, it takes three out of four games against Mercyhurst in the season series. The Rock are now just 1.5 games back of third-place Edinboro with four regular season games left.
SRU is now 18-23 overall and 8-8 in PSAC West games.
Game One: Slippery Rock 4 – Mercyhurst 1
Shumaker hurled her 16th complete game of the season while Nicholson clubbed a home run aiding SRU in the victory.
Mercyhurst got on the board in the first with a solo home run by Natalie Graff.
Shumaker settled in right afterword though, retiring the side in order in both the second and third innings.
In the fourth, The Rock cracked the scoreboard when MacKelvey tripled to score
Becca Roesch and knot the game up. Shortly after,
Regan Hozak reached on an error allowing MacKelvey to score giving SRU a 2-1 lead.
The Rock plated two insurance runs in the seventh when
Megan Brown got on base for Nicholson who rocked a two-run dinger to left-center, putting SRU out in front, 4-1.
Shumaker (W, 12-9) got the win hurling the complete game allowing just one run on three hits, while striking out six.
Tori Pierucci (L, 5-16) took the loss surrendering four runs (three earned) on eight hits and four walks, while striking out four.
Game Two: Slippery Rock 9 – Mercyhurst 4
Mercyhurst jumped out in front with four runs in the first, but SRU battled back to beat the Lakers.
After the four-spot in the first, SRU got on the board in the top of the third. It was Nicholson again who homered to score
Alexa Guglielmino. The home run was her team-leading sixth shot of the season.
With the bases juiced in the third,
Kailey Myers was hit by a pitch allowing Roesch to score. Nicholson followed with a single down the right field line to score Hozak and tie the game, 4-4.
Maggie Moore aided in the offensive explosion in the sixth with an RBI single to give The Rock a lead.
SRU put the game away in the seventh when it scored four runs. Brown reached on an error allowing Guglielmino and Roesch to score, and later, Myers singled to bring in Brown. Moore then ripped a single up the middle to score Myers, giving Slippery Rock a 9-4 advantage.
Shumaker (W, 13-9) going 6.2 innings allowing just four walks while striking out two.
Laura Gregory (L, 5-17) took the loss going 3.1 innings surrendering four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks, while punching out four.
Up Next
Slippery Rock is back in action Friday at Gannon in for a pair of crucial PSAC West games. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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