ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team was swept in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader by Mercyhurst University in a 5-2 game one loss and an 8-5 defeat to end the day on the road Wednesday.
 
The losses move SRU's record to 23-18 overall and 14-9 in the league while Mercyhurst improves to 23-17 on the year and 13-9 in conference competition.
 
Slippery Rock was one of two teams to appear in this week's regional rankings from the PSAC West along with division-leader Seton Hill University the NCAA DII Softball Committee unveiled today. The NCAA regional rankings determine the participants for the NCAA Tournament. The Atlantic Region consists of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), the Mountain East Conference (MEC), the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and select independent institutions within the region's borders.
 
The Slippery Rock offense was led on the day by Alexsa Hurd who was 3-for-7 with a pair of home runs and five total RBI over the doubleheader. Hurd's two RBI in game one made her the programs leader in single-season RBI as she now totals 49.
 
GAME ONE: MU 5 – SRU 2
The Lakers scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a lead they would never relinquish as they scattered three additional runs over the remainder of the game on the way to a 5-2 victory.
 
Hurd led the SRU offense through game one as she was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. Cami Fisk and Anna Villies tallied The Rock's remaining two hits.
 
Kelsi Anderson (13-6) was the pitcher of record after allowing five runs, three being earned on three hits with four strikeouts before giving way to Chloe Sharman.
 
Sharman closed out the final 1.2 innings allowing no runs or hits.
 
The Lakers offense started their scoring immediately as it scored its five runs through the first five frames, highlighted by a double in both the third and fifth innings by Allison Dejidas that plated four total runs.
 
SRU's bats were kept silent over those five innings as MU's game one starting pitcher Mikaela Schramski (7-6) took the win after holding The Rock to just two runs and three hits.
 
Trailing by five entering the sixth inning, Erin Gardner led off the frame with a walk before Hurd stepped to the plate to belt her eighth home run of the season, preventing the Laker's hopes of a shutout.
 
However, Schramski went on to retire the next six batters she faced to secure the 5-2 Mercyhurst victory.
 
Dejidas led the Lakers offense going 2-for-3 with four RBI while Schramski earned the win after allowing two runs on three hits with two strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO: MU 8 – SRU 5
Slippery Rock scored three runs in the seventh inning to combat what was at one time a six-run deficit but fell short of a late-game rally as Mercyhurst earned an 8-5 win.
 
The Rock were led through their second contes by Hurd once more as she went 2-for-4 with three RBI and her second home run of the day. Arielle Brown ended the game going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI and a pair of stolen bases while Julia Montie rounded out the leaders as she was 1-for-4 with one RBI.
 
Hurd (8-3) took the loss after surrendering seven runs, six being earned, on 11 hits over 3.2 innings pitched. Sharman, in her second relief appearance of the day, allowed one run on one hit over the final 2.1 innings.
 
Morgan Hilty (13-7) earned the win to close the day for the Lakers after allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out two in a complete-game effort. Marisa Cartellone paced the Mercyhurst attack going 1-for-3 with four RBI.
 
The Rock and Lakers opened the game with identical one-run half innings in the first before playing two blank frames over the second and third.
 
Slippery Rock tacked on a run in the top of the fourth on a Brown RBI-single to take what would be its only lead of the contest at 2-1 heading into the home portion of the fourth.
 
Mercyhurst broke the game open with a six-run bottom of the fourth inning that saw a three-RBI double by Dejidas and three-RBI single by Cartellon three batters later to put MU up 7-2.
 
The Lakers tacked on an additional run in the sixth frame to lift them to their largest lead of the contest of 8-2 heading into the seventh frame.
 
SRU's last chance at a comeback came in the final inning. Gardner started the rally attempt with a single before scoring on Hurd's two-run homer to cut the MU lead to 8-4.
 
Aubrey Mansfield then walked before Laker's centerfielder registered the first out of the inning on a Fisk fly ball. Emma Kennedy then reached base on single to right field that advanced Mansfield to second.
 
Montie's at-bat then saw her reach first on a fielder's choice. An error by the Merchurst third baseman gave way for Mansfield to score and cut the MU lead to 8-5.
 
However, Hilty forced the final two outs of the inning to seal an 8-5 Lakers victory.
 
Slippery Rock and California (Pa.) will finish out the remainder of game two from its doubleheader April 15 that was halted due to severe weather. SRU and Cal will pick up where they left off, with The Rock leading 3-1 in the top of the fifth inning, 3 p.m. Thursday at Kanevich Field.
 
 






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