WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University softball team concluded its time in Winter Haven, Florida Friday by splitting a pair of contests at The Spring Games.
 
The Rock (6-10) suffered a 4-2 loss to Saint Anselm College (5-6) in game one before taking a 7-6 victory over Post University (2-5) in eight innings to close out the day.
 
Slippery Rock's offense over two games was heavily supported by Emma Kennedy who belted her first career home run with three RBI and two runs scored. Erin Gardner and Anna Villies collected two RBI and one run a piece while Cami Fisk drove in one run.
 
Chloe Sharman (1-3) saw time in the circle in both games Friday, combining to pitch seven innings while allowing just one earned run while striking out six and earning one victory.
 
GAME ONE: SAC 4 – SRU 2
Slippery Rock scored the first run of the contest, but Saint Anselm pulled out to a three-run fifth inning lead that SRU could not combat over the remaining two frames en route to a 4-2 Hawks victory.
 
Fisk drove in The Rock's first run of the game with a single to left field that scored Kennedy to give SRU an early 1-0 edge through the first two innings.
 
Saint Anselm took its lead in the third frame courtesy of a two-run double by Bre Klaiber and tacked on two insurance runs in the fifth inning to extend its advantage to 4-1.
 
Kennedy looked to rally the Slippery Rock offense with a leadoff solo home run to open the sixth frame, but the Hawk defense retired the next three SRU batters coming out of the inning with its lead still intact before Haile Hicks (5-1) stranded one Rock runner on base to seal a 4-2 Saint Anselm win.
 
The duo of Fisk and Kennedy paced Slippery Rock's offense through game one. Kennedy ended the contest 1-for-2 with two runs, a solo home run and one walk while Fisk went 1-for-3 with SRU's remaining RBI.
 
Arielle Brown had a team-high two hits while Mackenzie Freeman and Julianna Hutchinson both had hits as well with Hutchinson also walking once.
 
Alexsa Hurd (0-3) was the pitcher of record after allowing two runs on three hits while striking out two batters and walking two over 4.0 innings of work before giving way to Sharman.
 
In a relief appearance, Sharman allowed two runs, none of which were earned, on no hits in addition to striking out one batter and walking just one in 2.0 innings pitched.
 
Klaiber led the Saint Anselm offense with one hit, one run and two RBI while Bailey Cain drove in one RBI and scored one run. Hicks earned the win after allowing two runs on six hits in addition to striking out three batters and walking just one in a complete game effort.
 
GAME TWO: SRU 7 – PU 6 (8 Innings)
Slippery Rock battled back from a six-run deficit with a late rally to force extra innings to earn an eventual 7-6 victory over the Eagles.
 
Down 6-0 in the fifth inning, The Rock began their comeback campaign when Kennedy drove a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Brown in the sixth frame for their first run of the contest.
 
SRU continued its scoring ways through the seventh frame with a two-run single by Villies, a two-RBI single by Gardner and a final one-run double by Kennedy to tie the contest and force extra innings.
 
To open the eighth frame Sharman struck out one batter while The Rock defense retired the remaining two putting the hopes of an Eagles victory on hold. SRU's offense then sealed the win via Julia Montie scoring on a passed ball to take the 7-6 win. Montie first advanced to third courtesy of a sacrifice bunt by Fisk to setup the eventual game-winning run.
 
The Rock's offensive charge was led by a trio of players in Gardner who was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run while Kennedy and Villies both had one hit and a two RBI a piece.
 
Hutchinson and Julia Nutter both reached based twice courtesy of a pair of walks each.
 
Starting pitcher Kelsi Anderson allowed three runs on five hits while striking out two batters and walking none in 3.0 innings pitched before giving way to Sharman, who took the win after allowing three runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits in addition to striking out five batters and walking four in 5.0 innings of solid relief work.
 
Bailee Zaccaro led the Eagles offensively with two hits in four at bats, two RBI and one run scored.
 
PU relief pitcher Alyssa Hughes (1-1) was the pitcher of record after allowing seven runs, five being earned, on four hits in addition to walking two batters in 2.1 innings pitched. Starting Eagles pitcher Jenny Riquielme allowed no hits or runs while walking two batters in 5.0 innings pitched.
 
Slippery Rock now returns north to host Lock Haven University for a home-opening doubleheader March 25 with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at the SRU Softball Complex.




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