SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped both games in its conference opening doubleheader against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division opponent Gannon University Saturday.
 
The Rock narrowly fell 1-0 in game one to Gannon before suffering a 5-3 loss in game two. Slippery Rock moves to 11-12-1 overall and 0-2 in the PSAC West while Gannon improves to 10-8 overall and 2-0 in the conference.
 
Leading SRU's offense through two games were Erin Gardner, Emma Kennedy, and Julianna Hutchinson. Gardner went a team-high 4-for-7 through two games with one run scored while Kennedy was 2-for-6 with two RBI. Hutchinson went 2-for-5 with one run scored and two doubles through two contests.
 
Despite the game one loss, Kelsi Anderson (6-4) in a complete game effort struck out a career-high 15 batters while walking just three.
 
GAME ONE: GU 1 – SRU 0
After a three-inning pitching battled between Anderson and Kennedy DeMatteis (4-5), Gannon opened its scoring efforts in the fourth frame to capture the 1-0 victory.
 
With the game tied at 0-0 and DeMatteis weaving in and out of trouble in the circle, the Golden Knights scored their lone run on an RBI-single to the right field. Anderson then struck out the following three batters to come out of the fourth inning trailing 1-0.
 
Despite loading the bases once in both the the fourth and seventh innings, Slippery Rock was unable to plate the game-tying run and prompt a comeback campaign as Gannon was able to escape with the one-run win.
 
Anderson was the pitcher of record for SRU after allowing just one run on four hits in addition to striking out 15 batters, including nine of the first 11 that she faced, while walking just three over seven innings of work.
 
SRU's game one leaders included Gardner who was 2-for-4 as well as Hutchinson, Arielle Brown and Anna Villies who all went 1-for-3. Brown, Kennedy, Hutchinson, Mackenzie Freeman Julia Montie and Cami Fisk all reached base on one walk each as well.
 
Leading the way for the Golden Knights was Lindsay Schmidt who was 1-for-3 with GU's lone RBI. DeMatteis earned the complete-game shutout victory allowing no runs on five hits in addition to striking out 12 batters and walking six.
 
All told, Slippery Rock left 14 runners on base in the loss. 
 
GAME TWO: GU 5 – SRU 3
A three-run second inning by Gannon proved to be the difference in game two as the Golden Knights parlayed their big in to an eventual 5-3 victory.
 
SRU's scoring efforts started in the first inning with an RBI-single to left field by Kennedy to give Slippery Rock the early 1-0 advantage. Gannon answered with three runs of its own in the second inning.
 
While SRU was able to trim its deficit to just one run courtesy of an RBI-double by Montie in the bottom of the second, Gannon answered back with runs in the third and fourth innings to take a two-run lead it would never relinquish.
 
Kennedy drove in a final Rock run in the fifth inning, but a final comeback bid in the seventh was halted with two runners on base as Rebecca Tatone induced a game-ending groundout to third base to seal the win.
 
Kennedy, Montie and Gardner led The Rock's efforts in game two. Kennedy was 2-for-4 and drove in two RBI while Montie went 2-for-3 with SRU's remaining RBI. Gardner was 2-for-3 with one run scored and a walk to round out The Rock's multi-hit players of the game.
 
Rock game two starting pitcher, Alexsa Hurd (0-4) and second baseman Hutchinson scored one run a piece for The Rock while going 1-for-3 and 1-for-2 respectively.
 
In the circle Hurd was the pitcher of record after allowing five runs on eight hits in addition to striking out three batters and walking five over five innings pitched before giving way to Chole Sharman.
 
In a strong relief appearance, Sharman allowed no runs on one hit while striking out three batters and walking just one in two innings of work.
 
Gabi Vasi allowed two runs on four hits with one walk in two innings pitched before Tatone (3-2) earned the win after allowing one run on six hits in addition to striking out three batters and walking just one over the final five innings.
 
Gannon's offense was paced by Abbey Girman who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored.
 
Slippery Rock next steps out of PSAC West play when it travels to Fairmont State University for a non-conference doubleheader April 5. First pitch of game one is set for 3 p.m.
 
 
 
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