EBENSBURG, Pa. – Kelsi Anderson became the Slippery Rock University softball program's career leader in strikeouts as part of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader sweep for SRU Monday against Pitt-Johnstown.
 
SRU defeated UPJ 4-1 in its first contest of the day before securing the doubleheader sweep with a narrow 7-6 game-two victory. The Rock's record now moves to 14-14 overall and 5-5 in the conference while the Mountain Cats fall to 7-17 overall and 2-10 in the league.
 
The highlight of the day came in game one when Anderson struck out seven batters to become the program's all-time leader in strikeouts with 338, surpassing former record holder Shaylee Ianno, who struck out 335 batters over a four-year career from 2009-12.
 
Offensively, Slippery Rock was led on the day by the sophomore duo of Alexsa Hurd and Arielle Brown. Hurd was 5-for-7 with two runs scored, two home runs, five RBI and two walks while Brown went 3-for-7 with three runs, one home run – the first of her college career - and two RBI.
 
With two home runs in game two, Hurd became the first Rock athlete since Becca Roesch in 2020 to register a multi-home run game. She is now just the ninth SRU player with at least one multi-home run game since 2009.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 4 – UPJ 1
Slippery Rock coupled a six-hit, four-run showing from its lineup with a complete-game effort by Anderson, who yielded just one run to secure the 4-1 game one victory for SRU.
 
In addition to allowing just one run, Anderson gave up just four hits while striking out seven over seven innings of work. The four hits mark the fourth time this season Anderson has surrendered less than five hits over a complete game.
 
Brown led The Rock offense in game one going 1-for-3 with two runs, one home run and two RBI. Hurd and Julianna Hutchinson each tallied two hits and one RBI for The Rock as well.
 
Tori Radvan (2-7) took the loss for UPJ in game one after allowing four runs on six hits over 6.1 innings pitched. Maddie Flowers paced the Mountain Cats as she went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
 
SRU opened its scoring by plating one run in both the third and fourth innings while Anderson shutout the Mountain Cats over five frames to take a 2-0 advantage into the sixth.
 
Pitt-Johnstown cut The Rock's lead in half after driving in what would be its only run of the game on a single to center field in the sixth inning.
 
Hutchinson ledoff the seventh with a single up the middle before Jeanna Sukey entered as a pinch runner. Two batters later, Brown belted a two-run home run to provide Anderson with two additional insurance runs. UPJ would put two runners on in the bottom of the frame, but Anderson worked out of the jam by forcing a game-ending lineout to third base.
 
GAME TWO: SRU 7 – UPJ 6
Slippery Rock parlayed three home runs into a six-run sixth inning to earn a 7-6 comeback victory over the Mountain Cats in game two to secure the doubleheader sweep.
 
Trailing 2-1 with Erin Gardner on second and one out in the sixth, Cami Fisk ignited the high-powered frame with a two-run home run to give SRU a one-run advantage. Emma Kennedy promptly followed Fisk by belting her first homer of the season.
 
Following Kennedy's shot, Julia Nutter drew a walk and Brown picked up a base hit to set the stage for Hurd who in turn blasted another homer – this one to left-center – to cap off The Rock's monster inning and send the game into the bottom of the sixth with SRU leading 7-2.
 
After being kept in check for much of the game, Pitt-Johnstown's offense came alive in the sixth to load the bases and force Hurd out of the game in favor of Chloe Sharman, one of the nation's leaders in saves.
 
Mia Smith was able to get the better of The Rock's closer as she continued the home run trend by striking a grand slam to cut SRU's lead to just one run at 7-6 before Sharman was able to get out of the inning without allowing further damage.
 
However, any thoughts of a Mountain Cat rally were put to rest in the seventh when Anderson entered the game with one on and no outs to force UPJ into a pair of groundouts and game-ending flyout to right field.
 
Hurd led The Rock's offense through game two going 3-for-3 with two runs, two home runs and four RBI. Fisk and Kennedy each ended the contest with one home run apiece.
 
Hurd (4-2) earned the win in the circle after scattering five runs on five hits while striking out seven over 5.2 innings of work. Anderson closed out the game to earn her first save of the season with one shutout inning pitched.
 
Smith (5-6) was the pitcher of record for UPJ after allowing four runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Smith also paced the Mountain Cat offense with her grand slam.
 
Slippery Rock continues its four-game road trip as it travels to Erie, Pennsylvania to face Gannon University Tuesday. First pitch of game one is set for 2 p.m.





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