WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped a pair of matchups against Ashland University and the University of Bridgeport Friday to conclude its 12-game slate at The Spring Games in Winter Haven, Florida.
The Rock (6-12) opened the day with a 2-1 loss to Ashland (8-7) followed by an 8-1 defeat against Bridgeport (8-6) in game-two.
Becca Roesch recorded an RBI double in game one to lead The Rock offense on the day while
Anna Villies picked up an RBI in game two. In her first collegiate start,
Ashley Calkins reached base twice with two walks.
Game One: Ashland 2, Rock 1
Slippery Rock jumped out a one-run lead in the third inning, but Ashland responded with a two-run bottom of the fourth inning on a pair of RBI-singles in addition to a complete-game, one run effort by starting pitcher Kayla Ruperto (2-2) to secure the 2-1 victory.
Ruperto retired six of seven Rock batters through her first two innings of work before allowing a lead-off walk to Calkins to start the third. Two batters later with pinch-runner
Caitlyn Arico on second, Roesch lined a double down the left field line, scoring Arico to give SRU the early 1-0 advantage.
Ruperto would settle in following the RBI-double however, allowing just two hits the rest of the way totaling one run on three hits and three walks while striking out eight in the complete-game effort.
On the back of the outing by Ruperto in the circle, the Eagles used back-to-back RBI-singles to takes a 2-1 fourth inning lead it wouldn't relinquish in the game one victory.
Rock game one starter
Camie Shumaker (5-5,1.96 ERA) turned in a solid performance in the circle, allowing two runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three over six innings of work.
Along with the Roesch RBI-double,
Alexa Guglielmino and
Lexie Zavarelle each added a 1-for-3 showing at the plate against Ashland.
Game Two: Bridgeport 8, Rock 1
Bridgeport used a four-run top of the first inning parlayed with a combined three-hit, one-run shutout by four Knight pitchers to secure an 8-1 game-two victory over The Rock.
UB got out to a four-run first inning lead after a lead-off solo-home run by Allison Luzzi followed by an RBI-double and back-to-back runs scored on passed balls.
Bridgeport continued to add to its lead with two more home runs off the bat of Luzzi in the fourth and sixth innings to stretch its lead to as large as 7-0 in the sixth.
The lone SRU run came in the bottom half of the sixth when Villies lined a single through the left side, scoring
Sara Mikulec from third to cut the Bridgeport advantage to 7-1.
The Knights would get that run back, scoring on a passed ball in the top of the seventh to secure the 8-1 win over Slippery Rock.
Rock game two starter
Chloe Sharman (1-5, 4.67) took the loss after allowing four runs, two being earned, on three hits and one walk while striking out two before giving way to Shumaker after 0.2 innings.
In 3.1 innings of work in relief, Shumaker allowed two additional runs on three hits and two walks while striking out one.
Claire Zimmerman finished out the day in the circle for Slippery Rock, allowing two runs, one being earned, on three hits and two walks while adding a strikeout.
Villies led The Rock offense against UB, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI-single while
Regan Hozak and Mikulec also finished 1-for-3 in game two.
Friday's games marked the end of the 2020 season for The Rock as it was announced earlier in the day that the rest of the spring sports season at Slippery Rock would be canceled due to ongoing concerns over the COVID-19 virus.
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