GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team played Seton Hill University to a doubleheader split on the road Thursday with an 11-3 loss in game one before earning a 4-3 win in game two.
The split improves SRU's record to 26-22 overall and 17-13 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. SHU moves to 27-15 overall and 20-8 in the division.
Thursday's result kept The Rock's PSAC Tournament hopes alive with just two games left in the regular season, but SRU could still need support from around the division to seal its postseason chances.
With three days remaining in the regular season, and a potential "rain day" on May 1, six teams still remain as contenders for the top five spots in the PSAC West standings. The top five teams in both the Western and Eastern Division at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the conference tournament.
Presently, Seton Hill clinched a berth into the tournament with a league record of 20-8, followed in the top five by Mercyhurst (19-11), California (Pa.) (19-13), Indiana (Pa.) (17-3), The Rock (17-13) and Gannon (17-13), meaning one of those teams with at least 17 division wins will not make the postseason.
Cami Fisk went 3-for-6 with two RBI to pace the Slippery Rock offense over the doubleheader Thursday.
Arielle Brown, who went 2-for-6 with three runs scored on the day, also aided in The Rock's offensive attack while setting the single-season record for runs scored with 42.
GAME ONE: SHU 11 – SRU 3 (5 innings)
Seton Hill opened the contest with back-to-back home runs to take an early lead it would never relinquish as it scattered nine additional runs over the next three innings on the way to an 11-3 five-inning win.
The Griffins jumped out to an early 6-0 lead heading into the fourth inning, highlighted by a pair of home runs by its first two batters.
Lauren Dellett (17-6) silenced the SRU bats, allowing just one hit over the first three frames before The Rock were able to capitalize on a pair of Griffin errors to score three runs in the top of the fourth and end the SHU shutout hopes.
However, Seton Hill tacked on five additional runs in the home half of the fourth inning before Dellett retired three of the final four batters she faced in the fifth frame to secure an 11-3 SHU victory.
Brown, Fisk and
Aubrey Mansfield each ended the contest with one hit for SRU while
Regan Hozak,
Julianna Hutchinson and
Julia Montie each scored one run apiece.
Chloe Sharman (2-4) was the pitcher of record after allowing two runs on three hits with one strikeout in 0.2 innings before giving way to
Kelsi Anderson, who surrendered eight runs, six being earned, on five hits with six strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work.
Mackenzie Borkovich closed out the final inning in the circle for The Rock, allowing one run on two hits.
Dellett took the win for the Griffins as she surrendered three runs, none of which were earned, on three hits while striking out two in a complete-game effort.
Brooklyn Fukushima led the Seton Hill offense as she was 3-for-3 with two RBI.
GAME TWO: SRU 4 – SHU 3
The Rock scored the first two runs of the game to take a lead that the Griffins would never combat as they scattered two additional runs over six innings to hold on for a 4-3 game-two win.
SRU struck first plating back-to-back runners on a pair of RBI-singles by
Alyssa Sheely and
Emma Kennedy to scored Brown and Hurd to take a 2-0 lead into the second inning.
Slippery Rock tacked on a run in the top of the second courtesy of Fisk, who sent a single to centerfield to drive in Brown once more.
The Griffins opened their attempted comeback campaign with a two-RBI single to left-center in the bottom of the second frame to cut The Rock's lead to 3-2.
After three empty innings, Hurd started a two-out rally for SRU by reaching first on a fielding error and pushing Brown to scoring position.
Fisk stepped in the batter's box and for the second time in game two, drove in Brown to put Slippery Rock up 4-2 over Seton Hill entering the home portion of the sixth.
SHU made a final comeback effort scoring an additional run in the sixth, but Hurd (10-4) went on to strike out four of the final nine batters she faced to secure a 4-3 win.
Hurd took the win after allowing three runs, two being earned, on six hits with seven strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
Fisk led The Rock's offense as she was 2-for-3 with two RBI in addition to Kennedy and Mansfield, who each tallied two hits and one RBI.
Chloe Elliott (8-8) was the pitcher of record for SHU after allowing three runs on six hits while striking out one over three innings pitched. Abby Smearman paced the Seton Hill attack as she went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Slippery Rock finishes the regular season with a PSAC West doubleheader against Edinboro Saturday with first pitch of game one set for 2:30 p.m. at Kasnevich Field.
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