CALIFORNIA, Pa. – After scoring five runs in the seventh inning of game two, the Slippery Rock University softball team watched Grace Smith's eighth-inning homer sail out of the park to ensure an 8-7 win over California (Pa.). The Vulcans claimed game one, 7-4.
 
The Rock crossed the 10-win mark on the year, moving to a 10-15 overall record and a 3-3 look within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The Vulcans, who entered at 5-0 in PSAC West play, adjusted to 8-7 on the year and 6-1 in conference competition.
 
Smith's game-winning home run in game two was her second home run of the day in a combined 4-for-8 effort that also included a double. She joined Arielle Brown, who went 4-for-6 with four RBI, with a quartet of hits through the day.
 
Aubrey Mansfield hit 3-for-6 for The Rock while Sarah Brown (2-for-6) and Alyssa Sheely (2-for-7) each drove in a run. Julia Nutter (2-for-6), Naomi Childs (1-for-2), Emma Kennedy (1-for-3), Alexsa Hurd (1-for-8) and Julia Montie (1-for-9) all contributed offensively.
 
Mackenzie Borkovich (5-3) picked up the game two victory. She saw time in both games, combining for 2.0 innings and striking out three batters. Kelsi Anderson (2-6) threw the first 5.1 innings of the day, logging four strikeouts. Alexsa Hurd started game two, tossing 10 strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
 
GAME ONE – California 7, Slippery Rock 4
A sixth-inning rally for The Rock ultimately fell short in a 7-4 loss to California in game one.
 
The game looked bleak at the outset when the Vulcans hung a 3-0 lead on The Rock after just the first inning. Slippery Rock's defense never quit, though, holding Cal scoreless for the next two innings.
 
SRU turned a corner in the top of the fourth with a home run into right field from Smith, cutting the lead to 3-1. California's Kaitlyn Achtermeier led off in the bottom portion with a home run of her own, bringing the difference back to three runs with a 4-1 score.
 
Slippery Rock did not go away, taking advantage of an error and a wild pitch to put runners in scoring position in the top of the fifth. An RBI-single from Sheely brought Childs to the plate, returning the margin to two runs with a 4-2 score.
 
After a double play squashed Cal's scoring chances in the fifth, SRU tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, 4-4. Smith and Montie quickly found themselves on second and third, both scoring on a wild pitch and an error.
 
The Vulcans earned their 7-4 win in the sixth inning by tacking on three more runs and then holding Slippery Rock without a hit in the seventh.
 
Smith led the team going 2-for-3 with a home run and a double. Mansfield also went 2-for-3 on the day with a duo of singles. Childs (1-for-2), Montie (1-for-4) and Sheely (1-for-3) joined Arielle Brown (1-for-3) and Sarah Brown (1-for-3) in contributing to a 9-8 edge in hitting for Slippery Rock.
 
Anderson dished four strikeouts in the first 5.1 innings before Borkovich closed out the final 0.2 innings with two strikeouts on the final six batters faced. Caleigh Rister (4-4) led the Vulcans to victory with six strikeouts in seven complete innings.
 
GAME TWO – Slippery Rock 8, California 7 (8 innings)
After a roller coaster of a seventh inning that saw teams combine for nine runs, Smith's home run sealed the deal for The Rock in an 8-7 winning in eight innings.
 
All four scoring plays in the opening six innings came from RBI-singles. California rode a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning in an otherwise ordinary game.
 
Following one out being recorded, a Kennedy double gave Slippery Rock some life in the top of the seventh inning. That was when Sarah Brown brought her home on the next at-bat with an RBI-single up the middle, tying the game at 3-3. A base hit for Hurd prior to Nutter being walked loaded the bases for Slippery Rock, prompting a pitching change for Cal.
 
A wild pitch next moved everyone up one spot, pushing SRU out in front for the first time of the day with a 4-3 edge. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, California hoped for one more quick out to retire the side.
 
Instead, an RBI-single that rolled to right field scored two runs, plating Hurd and Nutter for a 6-3 lead. Mansfield followed suit with an RBI-single into right field, extending The Rock's lead to 7-3 for a five-run inning.
 
Two immediate groundouts put SRU one play away from victory. The Vulcans, however, were not quite ready to settle for a split. A triple to centerfield followed by an RBI-single cut the lead to 7-4.
 
Needing just one out, a strikeout looked to end it before the third strike was dropped and then ricocheted off the helmet of the batter on the throw to first. That set up two more scoring opportunities where Cal leveled things at 7-7.
 
Smith led off for The Rock in the eighth, picking up where she left off in game one by crushing a solo shot out of the park. A flyout, strikeout and popup finally relieved Slippery Rock in the bottom of the eighth in the dramatic 8-7 victory.
 
Arielle Brown went 3-for-3 with four RBI for SRU, while Smith's home run was found in her 2-for-5 day. Sarah Brown also drove in a run, going 1-for-3. Nutter was one of the eight different run-scorers, hitting 2-for-4 in game two.
 
Hurd threw 161 total pitches through 6.2 innings, striking out 10 of the 35 batters faced. Borkovich, who picked up the extra innings win, threw for the final 1.1 innings with one strikeout. Slippery Rock wound up with a 12-9 advantage in hits.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will enjoy one day off before returning to the field with a doubleheader 1 p.m. Saturday at Pitt-Johnstown.





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