SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Kelsi Anderson and Alexsa Hurd combined for 20 strikeouts as the Slippery Rock University softball team squeaked out another split with California (Pa.) Saturday at Kasnevich Field. The Vulcans claimed game one, 3-2, before The Rock took the sequel in a 2-1 victory.
 
The Rock are now 13-20 overall and hold a 6-8 record within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The split, the second of its kind this season between SRU and Cal, moves the Vulcans to 13-12 on the year and 11-6 in PSAC West play.
 
Paige Parker (1-for-1) gave Slippery Rock the game two-winning RBI-single in her lone at-bat of the day. Hurd (1-for-7), Arielle Brown (1-for-6) and Julia Montie (1-for-6) all drove in runs for The Rock. Brown also stole a pair of bases through the day.
 
Naomi Childs went 3-for-3 after a terrific game one outing that also featured two stolen bases. Alyssa Sheely delivered a 2-for-5 performance at the dish while Sarah Brown went 1-for-2.
 
Hurd (4-8) earned the second save of her career in game two after combining for 11 strikeouts in 8.0 innings and allowing only three hits and two earned runs. Anderson (4-8) went 6.0 innings in the second game after fanning nine batters and limiting Cal to just three hits and one run.
 
Anderson's game two win tied her with Brooke Dawson's 33 wins from 2015-18 among the all-time wins list in Slippery Rock history.
 
GAME ONE – California 3, Slippery Rock 2
A four-hit advantage was not enough to carry Slippery Rock to a game one victory as Cal edged out SRU in a 3-2 battle.
 
The Vulcans took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning despite recording just one hit, scoring on a wild pitch and a fielder's choice. SRU replied with one run to make it 2-1 in the opening frame when Montie doubled to left center to snag an RBI by scoring Arielle Brown.
 
A pitcher's duel ensued until the Vulcans extended their lead to 3-1 in the fourth on a sac fly. The Rock put five more hits on the board but scored only once when Hurd recorded an RBI-double in the fifth.
 
Hurd threw 10 strikeouts in her 146-pitch performance, allowing just three hits and giving up two earned runs. Caleigh Rister (8-5) picked up the win for California with seven strikeouts.
 
Slippery Rock held a 7-3 lead in hits with nearly half of the offense stemming from Childs' 3-for-3 effort that included two stolen bases. Hurd (1-for-3), Montie (1-for-4), Sheely (1-for-3) and Arielle Brown (1-for-3) wrapped up Slippery Rock's batting.
 
GAME TWO – Slippery Rock 2, California 1
Despite a late-game scare, Slippery Rock clung to a lead in the seventh inning to secure a 2-1 win over California.
 
Anderson tossed five strikeouts through the first two innings to hold California silent early, as The Rock tacked the first run to the board in the bottom of the fourth for a 1-0 edge.
 
After two batters were hit by a pitch and Sarah Brown sac-bunted to advance Nutter and Childs, Jeanna Sukey and Sheely helped load the bases on a fielder's choice and a walk. After Arielle Brown was walked, everyone moved up a bag to give SRU its first lead of the day.
 
Slippery Rock doubled its tally to 2-0 in the fifth on an RBI-single by Parker that scored Montie. That marked the first RBI of Parker's career.
 
The Vulcans diced things up when two runners joined the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh. Hurd moved in from her infielding role back to pitch in relief for Anderson, throwing an extra strikeout against a Cal team that only added one run to make it 2-1. Hurd had the last say when a groundout right to the circle shut down the comeback effort.
 
Anderson fanned nine of the 28 batters faced in 132 pitches and 6.0 innings, grabbing her second consecutive win. She held California to just a trio of hits and one run. Hurd picked up the save after dealing the last 18 pitches of the seventh inning.
 
Both teams registered just three hits in total, with Slippery Rock's coming from Parker (1-for-1), Sheely (1-for-2) and Sarah Brown (1-for-2).  
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will be back in the diamond after one sleep when it returns to Kasnevich Field to host Indiana University (Pa.) at noon Sunday in a PSAC West doubleheader. The Rock last saw IUP earlier this week in a road split April 9.





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