OWENSBORO, K.Y. – The Slippery Rock University Softball team dropped both games on day two of the Blue Bridge Battle in a 9-7 loss to Davis & Elkins and a 14-3 defeat by Trevecca Nazarene Saturday in Owensboro, Kentucky
 
With the losses SRU's record moves to 0-3 overall this season while Davis & Elkins improve to 1-7 overall and Trevecca Nazarene to 1-0 on the year.
 
Freshman Arielle Brown paced The Rock offense over two games going 4-for-6 with four runs in addition to fellow freshman Julia Nutter tallying three hits in seven at-bats and five RBI.
 
GAME ONE: DAVIS & ELKINS 9, ROCK 7
The Rock jumped out to an early 5-1 lead after two innings, but the Senators powered back with eight runs over the final four frames including a six-run third inning to claim a 9-7 victory.
 
The Rock prompted their early lead thanks to a pair of run-scoring hits by Nutter who drove in two runs with her single to right center in the first inning and three runs with with a bases clearing double in the second.
 
D&E came back from the deficit in the third inning with six runs. The comeback started when with a Senator hit by a pitch from Alexsa Hurd to bring in one run, then a walk and pair of singles to drive in three more runners to end the third frame.
 
Slippery Rock regained its advantage over the next three innings with a single by Mackenzie Freeman to bring a runner home in the fourth and a double by Hurd to score one run in the sixth frame.
 
D&E answered The Rock's onslaught with two final runs in the sixth followed by Senator pitcher Jenna Evans retired retiring the side in order in the seventh to secure the 9-7 win.
 
SRU starting pitcher Kelsi Anderson allowed seven runs on three hits over three innings pitched while walking four and striking out one before giving way to Hurd (0-1) who allowed and additional two runs on two hits over the final three frames while walking five and striking out three.
 
Nutter led the offense in game one with two hits and five RBI while Hurd and Freeman added on one hit and RBI each. Brown scored three runs while Gardner scored twice for SRU.
 
Evans (1-3) allowed one run over 3.1 innings while striking out one batter. Linzey Allard paced the D&E offense with two hits and two RBI while Mia Mendoza ended the game with two runs scored, two RBI and one hit.
 
GAME TWO: TREVECCA NAZARENE 14, ROCK 3
Slippery Rock took a one-run lead into the fourth inning but Trevecca Nazarene responded with 12 runs over the sixth and seventh frames to secure a 14-3 victory.
 
Brown led SRU's offense going 3-for-4 with one run while Gardner tallied two hits in four at-bats in addition to scoring once. Freeman, Nutter and Julianna Hutchinson all recorded one hit apiece while Courtney Stewart scored one run.
 
In her first start of the season, Chloe Sharman (0-1) took the loss after giving up nine runs on nine hits and six walks over 5.2 innings of work. Haley Schmidt in one frame gave up five runs, four being earned, on four hits. Claire Zimmerman recorded the final out in the seventh.
 
Anna Bennett, Carly Sperlich, Sydney McCormick and Megan Walker paced the Trojans lineup, combining to go 5-for-12 with six RBI and eight runs scored. Hannah Caffey (1-0) picked up the win after allowing three runs, all being earned, on eight hits in addition to striking out four batters.
 
TNU opened up the scoring with a two-run single in the second. The Rock then took the lead in the bottom of the third when Freeman doubled to centerfield bringing two runners home and Huchinson singled to right field to prompt another run scored.
 
The one-run advantage was erased by the Trevecca Nazarene, as the Trojans scored 12 runs over the final two innings, highlighted by Kelsey McPeters who hit a three-run homerun in the sixth inning then closed out the seventh inning with a single to left center to score two more runs securing the 14-3 victory.
 
Slippery Rock ends its time at the Blue Bridge Battle with a matchup against the University of Illinois Springfield 11 a.m. (10 CST) Sunday in Owensboro, Kentucky.
 
 

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