SRU Stats  |  IUP Stats  |  MU Stats

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team plays two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheaders this weekend when it hosts Indiana University of Pennsylvania Friday before traveling to Mercyhurst University Saturday.
 
First pitch of game one on Friday is set for 2:30 p.m. at the SRU Softball Complex while game one Saturday will be 1 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Softball Field.
 
MAKE-A-WISH HOME RUN DERBY
Following Friday's second game against IUP, The Rock will host a home run derby. Participants are asked to provide a $5 donation to compete. All proceeds from the derby will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch Friday's games live and on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network, created and operated by the SRU athletic communication office.
 
• Search for Rock Athletics Digital Network in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple RV, Roku and Android TV devices. The streaming web player linked above will also integrate with Chrome Cast devices to allow viewers to cast the game to those devices.
 
IUP SERIES DETAILS
Opponent: Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Date: April 22 – 2:30 p.m. / 4:30 p.m.
Location: SRU Softball Complex
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: IUP leads 77-42
Last Played: March 9, 2021 (SRU split L 6-5, W 8-7)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. IUP
Indiana holds a 77-42 lead over Slippery Rock in the all-time series. However, SRU and IUP have split the last eight games. Friday's contests mark the first time The Rock has hosted the Crimson Hawks since March 29, 2015 when SRU swept the series 9-8 and 13-6.
 
LAST MEETING vs. IUP
The most recent doubleheader between The Rock and IUP was March 9, 2021 in which SRU split the series with a 6-5 loss and 8-7 victory on the road.
 
MERCYHURST SERIES DETAILS
Opponent: Mercyhurst University
Date: April 23 – 1 p.m. / 3 p.m.
Location: Mercyhurst Softball Field
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Tied 38-38
Last Played: April 24, 2021 (SRU won 4-1, 9-4)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. MERCYHURST
Slippery Rock and the Lakers hold a 38-38 tie in the all-time series dating back to 1982. The Rock have won seven of the last 10 contests against Mercyhurst and is currently on a three-game winning streak.
 
LAST MEETING vs. MERCYHURST
SRU and the Lakers last met on April 24, 2019. The Rock claimed a doubleheader sweep in the form of a 4-1 game one win and 9-4 victory to close the series in Erie, Pennsylvania.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Overall Record: 12-15-1
PSAC West Record: 1-5
PSAC West Standings: 7th
Home Record: 4-2
Away Record: 5-4-1
Neutral Record: 3-9
Last Five games: 1-4
Streak: L1
Head Coach: Stacey Rice | Eighth season at SRU (125-170-1)
 
SCOUTING THE ROCK
LAST TIME OUT: Slippery Rock split its conference doubleheader at Clarion University April 15. SRU claimed a 13-3 six-inning win in game one before falling 5-4 in an eight-inning game two.
 
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART AND WINS ARE: Slippery Rock continues to hold a winning record when playing at the SRU Softball Complex in 2022 with a 4-2 mark at home. With six home contests remaining in the regular season Slippery Rock has the potential to end the year with its first winning home record since being 7-3 at the end of the 2018 season.
 
Additionally, with at least 10 contests left in the year, SRU could claim its first overall winning record for the first time since ending 24-19 during the 2018 season as well.
 
CURRENT STREAKS: Erin Gardner has been hot as of late as she is currently reached base in 13 consecutive games in addition to having seven straight games with a hit.
 
Cami Fisk is on a five-game hitting streak and has reached base in nine straight games. Emma Kennedy also has hits in five consecutive games and a six-game streak of reaching base.
 
THE ROCK LINEUP: Pacing The Rock's offense and hitting over .300 is Gardner (.368) and Mackenzie Freeman (.300). Freeman leads SRU in RBI (27) and home runs (6). Gardner has scored a Rock-best 20 runs and is tied with Fisk for the team-high in doubles with six.
 
Arielle Brown, SRU's No. 2 hitter in the batting order, enters the weekend hitting .289 with 19 runs and three stolen bases.
 
Fisk is second for Slippery Rock in RBI with 14 while rookies Alexsa Hurd and Kennedy are third with 13 each.
 
Julia Montie has the second most home runs for SRU with three while Fisk, Kennedy and Hurd each have hit two.
 
Only two Rock players have hit triples this season in Hurd who has two and Anna Villies with one.
 
BATS COMING ALIVE: Of late, Montie has six hits in her last 17 at-bats (.353).
 
Kennedy's batting average has grown 37 points over the last five games as the freshman has collected six hits and six RBI over her last 18 at-bats.
 
Fisk drove in six runs over the Clarion doubleheader and now has seven hits in five games. Villies is hitting .600 (6-for-10) in The Rock's previous three games.
 
After going five games without a hit, Freeman has posted eight hits in her last four games while Brown has five hits in her last four games.
 
THE PITCHING STAFF: In 15 starts, Kelsi Anderson brings a 7-5 record and 3.05 ERA into the weekend's games. In a rotation-high 85 innings pitched, Anderson has struck out the fourth most batters in the conference with 102. In two of the last three contests, Anderson has struck out double-digit batters with a career-high 15 against Gannon and 11 at Clarion.
 
SRU's No. 2 pitcher Chloe Sharman is 4-4 with a 3.48 ERA. In 16 appearances and 52.1 innings of work, Sharman has struck out 40 batters and has limited opponents to a .237 batting average. Hurd, who rounds out the staff at 0-5 with one save and a 4.89 ERA, has retired 30 batters this season via strikeout.
 
RECORDS WATCH: Entering the weekend, four Rock softball members continue to make their way up the SRU career record books.
 
For her career, Anderson has climbed all the way to fifth in strikeouts (201) in addition to being 12th in shutouts (4), 16th in innings pitched (194.2) and 18th in wins (13).
 
In 27 appearances in 2022, Freeman remains one home run away from moving into a tie for 15th place on The Rock's single-season home run ledger. Freeman is now 19th in SRU's single-season RBI ranking with 27 total.
 
For her career, Sharman is eighth in strikeouts (189), 12th in innings pitched (264.2) and 17th in wins (14).
 
With at least five doubleheaders remaining in the regular season, Head coach Rice is just four wins away from passing Jan Kasnevich (1977-86) and becoming the second winningest coach in program history.
 
AGAINST THE CRIMSON HAWKS:
Batting –
Fisk (4 games): .500 (6-for-12) – 1 RBI
Gardner (4 games): .438 (7-for-16) – 1 RBI
Villies (4 games): .385 (5-for-13) – 5 runs – 3 RBI
Regan Hozak (6 games): .200 (4-for-20) – 4 runs – 5 RBI
 
Pitching –
Sharman (3 games): 1-0 – 12.1 IP - 6.24 ERA – 11 K / 5 BB
Anderson (3 games): 1-1 – 8.2 IP – 2.42 ERA – 8 K / 3 BB
Claire Zimmerman (2 games): 0-2 – 6.2 IP – 7.35 – 5 K / 6 BB
 
PREVIOUSLY VS. THE LAKERS:
Batting –
Fisk (4 games): .231 (3-for-13) – 1 run – 3 RBI
Villies (4 games): .231 (3-for-13) – 2 runs
 
Pitching -
Sharman (5 games): 1-1 – 16.1 IP – 5.14 ERA – 5 K / 10 BB
Anderson (3 games): 1-0 – 12.2 IP – 5.52 ERA – 9 K / 6 BB
Zimmerman (2 games): 0-2 – 3.2 IP– 7.63 ERA – 1 K / 5 BB
 
INDIANA (PA) PRIMER
Overall Record: 14-12
PSAC West Record: 6-2
PSAC West Standings: 3rd
Home Record: 6-2
Away Record: 3-3
Neutral Record: 5-7
Last Five Games: 2-3
Streak: W1
Head Coach: Shawna Bellaud | Fourth season at IUP (50-64-1)
 
SCOUTING THE CRIMSON HAWKS
Last time out: Indiana split a non-conference doubleheader with a 6-1 loss and 6-5 win, April 16 at Shippensburg University.
 
Leading in the circle for the Crimson Hawks is Amanda Fischer who is 8-4 with a 4.89 ERA and has struck out 24 batters in 57 innings pitched.
 
IUP is led in the batter's box by Jenna Rhue and Joelle Snyder. Rhue bats .358 with 29 RBI, 19 runs scored and 10 home runs. Snyder bats .398 with 23 runs scored, 11 RBI and two home runs.
 
As a team, Indiana is batting .308 and scoring 5.2 runs per contest while the IUP pitching staff has a 5.94 ERA.
 
MERCYHURST PRIMER
Overall Record: 23-12
PSAC West Record: 4-6
PSAC West Standings: 6th
Home Record: 9-3
Away Record: 5-3
Neutral Record: 9-6
Last Five Games: 4-1
Streak: W3
Head Coach: Leanne Baker | Ninth season at MU (122-215-2)
 
SCOUTING THE LAKERS
Last time out: Mercyhurst swept Edinboro University with 5-4 and 8-2 victories in a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday at the Mercyhurst Softball Field.  
 
The Mercyhurst offense is led by the duo Madison Fry and Alison Dejidas. Fry leads the PSAC in batting average at .511 in addition to having 22 runs and seven RBI. Dejidas bats .315 with 29 RBI, 18 runs scored and five home runs.
 
Lakers ace Mikaela Schramski holds a 10-6 record with a 2.92 ERA while having struck out 94 batters over 108 innings pitched.
 
As a team, Mercyhurst is batting .295 and scoring 4.8 runs per game while the Laker pitching staff has registered just a 2.47 ERA.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock continues conference competition hosting California University (Pa.) for a home doubleheader April 27. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the SRU Softball Complex.



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).