SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team lost both games of its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader against Gannon University Saturday at the SRU Softball Complex.
The Golden Knights (8-8, 7-5 PSAC West) took game one, 5-0, before securing the sweep with a 3-1 game two victory.
The Rock (2-12, 2-12 PSAC West) was led by pitcher
Chloe Sharman (0-1, 3.44 ERA) who allowed just two earned runs while striking out seven in 7.1 innings of work over the two games.
Anna Villies led the way on offense with two hits and a run scored along with
Julianna Hutchinson who tallied her first double of the season.
Game One: Gannon 5, Slippery Rock 0
Kennedy DeMatteis (3-5, 3.67 ERA) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning as Gannon took the opener from The Rock, 5-0.
Hutchinson, Villies and
Erin Gardner registered hits for SRU in game one while
Courtney Hoffman,
Leah Vith and
Cami Fisk all reached base via walks.
Kelsi Anderson (1-6, 3.68 ERA) was the pitcher of record for The Rock. She gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk in addition to striking out one batter over 3.2 innings.
As has been the case for the majority of the season, Sharman was once again solid out of SRU's bullpen as she registered three strikeouts while scattering one run on three hits over 3.1 innings of work. In six relief appearances this season, Sharman has pitched 12 innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits to go with 11 strikeouts and seven walks.
The Golden Knights held a narrow 1-0 lead early on before plating three runs in the fourth inning to stretch their advantage to a commanding four runs.
Gannon went on to add an additional insurance run in the sixth inning while DeMatteis proceeded to successfully work out of a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half of the frame, ending The Rock's best scoring opportunity of the game and maintaining the shutout.
Hutchinson doubled to lead off the seventh, but DeMatteis was once again able to navigate herself out of trouble and seal the win by forcing three consecutive groundouts.
DeMatteis surrendered three hits and three walks while striking out four Rock batters in the complete-game victory. Maria Taliani drove in three runs to pace the Gannon offense.
Game Two: Gannon 3, Slippery Rock 1
Sharman and
Claire Zimmerman (1-5, 4.48 ERA) combined to allow just one earned run while striking out nine, but The Rock offense was stymied by DeMatteis who yielded one unearned run on just four hits with four strikeouts in her second complete-game effort of the day.
Fisk, Villies, Vith and Zimmerman each recorded a hit against DeMatteis while Hoffman added a walk.
Sharman took her first loss of the season after allowing two runs, one being earned, on five hits and striking out four before being relieved by Zimmerman who pitched the final three innings. She surrendered an unearned run on two hits in addition to striking out a career-high five batters.
Slippery Rock jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Villies scored on a throwing error. However, that would be the only run of the day as SRU left eight runners on base over the next six innings, including leaving the bases loaded in the fifth.
Gannon tied the score at 1-1 in the second before extending its lead to 3-1 with runs in the fifth and sixth inning before DeMatteis secured the game two win by retiring seven of the final eight batters she faced.
Lily Gfeller went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI while Lea Coffman added an RBI-double to lead the Gannon offense.
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns to action April 6 as it travels to Gannon to complete the four-game series. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).
