SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team split its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader vs. Edinboro University Friday. The Rock took game one 1-0 before falling 11-4 in game two at the SRU Softball Complex on Senior Day.
The split moves Slippery Rock's record to 15-20-1 overall and 4-10 in the conference. The Fighting Scots ended the day at 7-22 overall and 5-9 in the PSAC West.
Game one starter
Kelsi Anderson (9-7) aided SRU to its 1-0 victory holding Edinboro to just three hits and no runs, earning her fourth shutout victory and eighth complete-game victory of the season.
SRU's offense was led over the doubleheader by
Alexsa Hurd who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a two-run homer in game two. Hurd has now driven in at least one RBI in five of the last six games.
Mackenzie Freeman also posted a solid effort on the day batting 2-for-6 with a solo home run.
Lone Slippery Rock senior
Ashley Calkins helped aid in SRU's efforts game two going 1-for-2 with one RBI in the final home contest of her career.
GAME ONE: SRU 1 – EU 0
Anderson for The Rock and Macy Sral (1-10) of the Fighting Scots both claimed firm control of the circle for five innings before SRU was able to tally the lone run of the game sealing a 1-0 victory.
Anderson kept the Fighting Scot bats quiet for five innings allowing just one hit and facing only 18 batters in which she stuck out seven of. Sral was only able to return the efforts for four innings keeping The Rock scoreless and escaping trouble by stranding six runners on base.
A pair of Edinboro errors put leadoff batter
Erin Gardner on second base before being advance to third by a fly out by
Arielle Brown. Hurd split the Fighting Scot defense with a shot up the middle to plate Gardner and give SRU the one-run edge into the sixth inning.
One run proved to be enough for Anderson as she remained solid in the circle. While Edinboro put runners on base in the sixth inning Anderson worked her way out of trouble by stranding two before retiring the side in the seventh frame to seal the 1-0 victory.
Anderson took the win after a complete-game shutout victory in which, for the third consecutive time, she struck out double-digit batters with 11 and walking just two.
Hurd highlighted the game for SRU's bats as she went 1-for-2 with The Rock's lone RBI. Gardner tallied one hit and one run while
Cami Fisk,
Julia Montie,
Emma Kennedy and
Anna Villies all registered one hit apiece.
Sral took the loss after allowing one run on six hits in addition to striking out five batters over six innings pitched.
GAME TWO: EU 11 – SRU 4
Edinboro jumped out to a 10-run lead after three-innings that The Rock was unable to rally back from en route to an 11-4 Fighting Scot victory.
EU opened up its scoring scattering 10 runs over the first three innings, highlighted by a six-run second frame while holding The Rock scoreless to take a comfortable lead.
The hopes of a shutout were put to rest in inning four with Hurd belting a two-run homer to left field followed by
Mackenzie Freeman hitting a solo home run right after to cut the SRU deficit to seven.
With two outs on the board, Calkins continued the rally scoring Fisk on a bunt-single before being put into scoring position herself by an Edinboro error.
However, EU pitcher Lauren Bush (5-4) was able to exit the inning with no additional runs in addition to allowing just one Rock hit over the remainder of the game securing the 11-4 Fighting Scot win.
Hurd and Freeman led SRU's offense going an identical 2-for-3 in addition to a home run each with Hurd driving in two RBI and Freeman one. Calkins registered one hit and drove in The Rock's remaining RBI. Brown and Fisk each tallied one hit and one run apiece. .
Hurd was the pitcher of record after allowing nine runs, three being earned, on three hits in addition to striking out four batters and walking three in 1.1 innings pitched before giving way to
Chloe Sharman, who allowed two runs on eight hits in while striking out eight batters and walking none in 5.2 innings of work.
Bush took the win after allowing four runs on eight hits in addition to striking out eight batters and walking none in a complete game effort.
Slippery Rock concludes the regular season on the road at Seton Hill for a PSAC West doubleheader Saturday. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.
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