SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team took a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Friday at the SRU Softball Complex.
 
The Rock (10-22, 8-18 PSAC West) took game one, 5-4, before completing the sweep over Pitt-Johnstown (6-22, 5-17 PSAC West) with a 1-0 game two victory.
 
SRU was led on the day by Kaitlyn Bowman who went 4-for-7, including a walk-off RBI-single in game one, while Maggie Moore recorded four hits in addition to scoring twice and driving in two runs. Julianna Hutchinson and Leah Vith added three hits apiece to round out the top performers for Slippery Rock at the plate.
 
Kelsi Anderson (4-7, 2.57 ERA) and Chloe Sharman (3-6, 2.97 ERA) each recorded complete-game victories, in addition to combining for 15 strikeouts, to lead The Rock pitching effort.
 
Game One: Slippery Rock 5, Pitt-Johnstown 4
Slippery Rock parlayed a bounce-back pitching performance from Anderson with a seventh-inning rally culminating in a walk-off RBI-single by Bowman to secure the 5-4 game one victory.
 
Bowman led The Rock offense in game one with three hits and an RBI while Alexa Guglielmino added two hits, an RBI and a run scored. The trio of Moore, Cami Fisk and Anna Villies added one double apiece.
 
Anderson earned the complete-game victory after allowing four runs, three being earned, on eight hits and a career-high nine strikeouts. The complete-game marked the fourth such effort by the freshman this season.
 
Olivia Porter led the Mountain Cat offense going 2-for-4 with a triple, a run scored and two RBI. Kristen Coffay (4-8, 6.67 ERA) took a no-decision after yielding four runs, three being earned, on four hits in 2.1 innings of work before giving way to Alyssa Hileman (1-6, 3.86 ERA) who took the loss after giving up one unearned run on seven hits over the final 4.1 frames.
 
SRU jumped out to a three-run second-inning lead, highlighted by a two-RBI double off the bat of Moore. Slippery Rock added to its lead in the third when Guglielmino brought home Villies on a single to center field, extending The Rock's lead to 4-0.
 
UPJ struck back with four runs of its own over the next three innings, capped off by a pair of run-scoring singles by Porter and Bree Ginther to send the contest to the seventh tied at 4-4.
 
After Anderson worked around a leadoff single by Pitt-Johnstown by retiring the next three batters in order, a Guglielmino single and Vith reaching on an error setup Slippery Rock in the bottom half of the frame with runners on second and third with two outs. Bowman secured the 5-4 comeback win for SRU after beating out an infield single to bring home Vith.

Game Two: Slippery Rock 1, Pitt-Johnstown 0
Sharman needed just one run of support to secure a 1-0 game-two victory. The junior turned in the best performance of her career as she allowed just three hits while tying a career-high in strikeouts with six in her second-consecutive complete-game effort.
 
Hutchinson led The Rock offense, going 2-for-3 with an RBI-single while Vith added a 2-for-3 showing at the plate. Moore went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base to round out Slippery Rock's top performers in game two.
 
The complete-game shutout was the first of Sharman's career. Additionally, the sophomore's three hits allowed was also a career-best.
 
Porter, Maddie Flowers and Taylor Mendicino each recorded a hit to lead the UPJ offense while Ashley Pagliei (1-7, 4.71 ERA) allowed just one run on eight hits while striking out four in the losing effort.
 
The Rock opened the scoring in the second with a Hutchinson RBI-single that brought home Moore for what proved to be the game-winning run.
 
Sharman evaded early trouble, stranding the bases loaded in the third inning before retiring 13 of the next 14 batters to clinch the 1-0 game two win and the sweep.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns to action Saturday as it travels to UPJ to complete the four-game set. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11 a.m.


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