SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team extended its winning streak to six contests with a doubleheader sweep of Seton Hill University Friday with a 2-1 game-one win and 4-0 shutout victory to end the day.
 
The Rock's record improves to 18-14 overall and 9-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The Griffins record moves to 15-11 on the year and 8-4 in league competition. The sweep marks the first of such for Slippery Rock over Seton Hill since the 2016 season.
 
Rock pitchers Kelsi Anderson (11-3) and Alexsa Hurd (6-2) each picked up their third wins of the week, and fifth and third complete-game victories of the season respectively. In addition to a one-hit, 10-strikeout effort in the circle in game two, Hurd also hit a two-run home run in the opener.
 
The Rock's offense was led over two games by Aubrey Mansfield and Alyssa Sheely who were the lone SRU players to tally hits in both contests. Mansfield went 2-for-4 with one run and two walks while Sheely was 2-for-4 with one run scored.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 2 – SHU 1
Hurd belted a two-run home run which proved to be enough for Anderson who allowed only one run and three hits on the way to a 2-1 Rock victory over the Griffins.
 
Anderson and Lauren Dellett (10-3) of Seton Hill entered a four-inning pitching battle that saw Anderson leave two Griffins on base and Dellett strand six. Both pitchers struck out five batters each, leading to a 0-0 score entering the fifth frame.
 
Seton Hill opened the fifth with a base hit before having its runner advance to scoring position courtesy of a stolen base. Anderson was able to exit the inning unscathed by forcing the next three batters out via strikeout and a pair of groundouts.
 
Arielle Brown was the leadoff batter for The Rock in the home portion of the fifth inning and was granted first base on a walk before stealing second. Two batters later, Hurd stepped up to the plate and on the first pitch of her at-bat belted a two-run homer to left center, breaking the games stalemate, to lift SRU to a 2-0 lead. 
 
The Griffins returned the favor in the top of the seventh inning when Dellett hit a solo home run to left field that cut The Rock's advantage to only 2-1. With one out on the board from a flyout, SHU had its next batter reach first on an SRU fielding error to bring the go-ahead run to the plate.
 
However, Anderson was able to avoid any danger by forcing the following two batters she faced into groundouts to secure the Slippery Rock 2-1 victory.
 
SRU was led over game one by Hurd who was 2-for-3 with one run, one home run, and two RBI. Mansfield and Sheely registered The Rock's final hits with one apiece while Mansfield was also walking twice.
 
Brown was vital to SRU's success reaching base as she drew three walks, stole two bases and scored one run.
 
Anderson posted another solid performance from the circle over game one as she allowed just one run on three hits while striking out six and walking none in her fifth complete-game victory of the season.
 
Dellett led the Griffin offense as she was 1-for-3 with a solo home run in addition to being the pitcher of record after allowing four runs on two hits over six innings with 10 strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO: SRU 4 – SHU 0
Slippery Rock parlayed a complete-game, one-hit shutout by Hurd and a four-run bottom of the sixth inning into a 4-0 game two win over Seton Hill.
 
Hurd tallied 10 strikeouts, her second-best strikeout mark in a game this year, on the way to her second one-hit effort of the season. Hurd is the first Rock pitcher to throw two one-hitters in a season since Lindsey Grace in 2010.
 
Fisk led the SRU offense in game two, going 1-for-3 with two RBI in addition to Brown, Gardner, Mansfield and Sheely who each tallied one run.
 
With the contest scoreless entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Brown led off the frame with a double to centerfield. Two batters later, Mansfield hit a hard infield single to third base that put runners on the corners with just one out in the inning.
 
Gardner then came to the plate as a pinch hitter and, after a Mansfield steal, dropped down a squeeze bunt that forced a throw home which Brown beat for the game's first run. A Griffin fielding error on the throw home also allowed Mansfield to score on the play to give SRU a 2-0 lead.
 
The Rock's big inning continued as Sheely sent a single to right field followed by Fisk capping off the decisive frame with a two-run double before Griffins pitcher Chloe Elliot (4-7) was able to force the inning's final two outs.
 
While Seton Hill threatened in the seventh, Hurd was at her best when Slippery Rock needed her most as she shutdown SHU's final scoring opportunity. With runners on first and second and just one out, Hurd worked herself out of the jam by inducing a pair of flyouts to secure the four-run win.
 
Elliott, who took a no-hitter into the sixth, was the pitcher of record after allowing four runs on four hits to go along with nine strikeouts while Mackenzie Zang was the lone Griffin to record a hit in game two.
 
Slippery Rock will now travel to Erie, Pennsylvania to face Edinboro in a conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m. at McConnell Family Stadium.






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