SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team lost both games of its non-conference doubleheader against West Liberty University Wednesday at the SRU Softball Complex.
The Hilltoppers (19-9, 11-5 MEC North) took game one, 3-2, in nine innings before completing the sweep over The Rock (7-19, 5-17 PSAC West) with a 5-2 game two win in six innings.
Leah Vith led the SRU offense over the two games, going 2-for-5 with three RBI while
Erin Gardner and
Alexa Guglielmino added three hits apiece.
Game One: West Liberty 3, Slippery Rock 2 (Nine Innings)
SRU battled back to force extra innings in a classic pitchers' duel between
Kelsi Anderson (2-7, 2.32 ERA) and Mackenzie Amend (3-1, 2.20 ERA), but ultimately lost, 3-2, in extra innings.
Slippery Rock trailed West Liberty by a run entering the home half of the seventh, but used a
Kaitlyn Bowman run-scoring single to force extra innings. After West Liberty regained the lead in the eighth, Vith tied the contest once again with a sacrifice fly that scored
Regan Hozak to send the game to the ninth inning.
However, West Liberty gained a 3-2 advantage in the top of the frame on a Laural Saunders RBI-double. The Rock threatened in the bottom of the ninth, putting the tying run on third with only one out, but were unable to convert as reliever Riley Bennington (8-3, 1.04 ERA) retired each of the next two batters to secure the game-one victory.
Anderson turned in another proficient outing for Slippery Rock, yielding just two runs, one being earned on 10 hits and six strikeouts over 7.1 innings. Additionally, the freshman stranded nine runners on base, including getting out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third unscathed, before giving way to
Chloe Sharman (2-4, 2.92 ERA) who took the loss after allowing the go-ahead run on just one hit over the final 1.2 innings.
Vith and Bowman guided The Rock's bats with one RBI each while Gardner, Guglielmino,
Maggie Moore and
Courtney Hoffman each had one hit apiece.
Amend took a no decision for the Hilltoppers despite carrying a perfect game into the fifth. Bennington pitched the final three innings allowing two unearned runs on two hits while striking out six to earn the win.
West Liberty was led on offense by Sanders who went 3-for-5 with a double in addition to Katie Beeman who went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Game Two: West Liberty 5, Slippery Rock 2 (Six Innings)
Slippery Rock held a one-run lead entering the fifth, but the Hilltoppers scored five runs in the frame and Annie Patterson (5-3, 1.31 ERA) stranded the bases-loaded with one out in the final inning to secure the 5-2 win.
Vith led the Slippery Rock lineup going 2-for-2 with two RBI in addition to a 2-for-4 showing from Gardner with two runs scored. Guglielmino went 2-for-3 to round out The Rock's top performers in game two.
Sharman took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over 4.2 innings before giving way to
Claire Zimmerman (3-8, 4.67 ERA) who yielded one run on one hit in the final 1.1 innings of work.
Kat Donzella paced the West Liberty offense, going 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in addition to Allie Cook recording a double and two RBI. Patterson gave up two runs, one being earned, and struck out five batters in the complete-game effort.
Slippery Rock opened the scoring in the third on a Vith sacrifice-fly to take a 1-0 lead, but West Liberty responded with five runs in the fifth, highlighted by the Donzella home run to take a four-run advantage.
SRU cut its deficit to three runs when Vith singled to bring home Gardner and loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Patterson worked out of the jam to secure the sweep for the Hilltoppers. The game was halted following the sixth inning due to darkness.
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns to play Friday as it welcomes Clarion University to the SRU Softball Complex for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
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