SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team celebrated its annual Senior Day by cruising to 9-1 and 9-0 victories over Pitt-Johnstown Saturday at Kasnevich Field.
 
With their second sweep in the last four doubleheaders, The Rock improves to 20-22 overall with a season-high 13-10 mark within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The Mountain Cats fell to a 6-28 record through the season with a 3-19 showing in PSAC West competition.
 
Slippery Rock benefitted from four home runs on the day from as many batters, with seven batters recording at least two hits. Through the doubleheader, Slippery Rock amassed a batting average of .435 while slugging .804 and boasting an on-base percentage of .518. That was done while holding UPJ to a .083 / .111 / .154 slashline.
 
Seniors Kelsi Anderson and Mackenzie Freeman were honored alongside family and friends in a pre-game ceremony. Anderson went on to pick up both wins from the circle, tossing eight strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched, allowing just three total hits. Freeman recorded a hit in each game and scored a run in a pair of 1-for-3 performances.
 
The Rock saw home run shots come from Emma Kennedy, Julia Montie, Julia Nutter and Aubrey Mansfield. Kennedy went 3-for-5 on the day with a double and two RBI while Montie logged 3-for-6 with two doubles and six RBI. Nutter's homer was part of a 2-for-4 day with two runs driven in while Mansfield combined for a 2-for-5 effort on the day with a double and four RBI.
 
Slippery Rock also benefitted offensively from Arielle Brown, who hit 3-for-4 with an RBI, Naomi Childs (3-for-5) and Alexsa Hurd (1-for-3). Jeanna Sukey also chipped in by going 1-for-3, highlighted by a two-RBI double.
 
Hurd (8-9, 1) relieved Anderson (7-9) in the circle for the final two innings of game two, tossing four strikeouts to the six batters faced.
 
GAME ONE – Slippery Rock 9, Pitt-Johnstown 1 (6 innings)
A one-run deficit after the fourth inning kicked Slippery Rock into gear, continuing to score eight runs with three homers in the fifth inning on the way to a 9-1 victory in six innings.
 
Slippery Rock could not get more than one hit in any of the first four innings, giving up the opening run to a Pitt-Johnstown RBI double in the top of the fourth.
 
The bottom of the fifth inning, however, was a momentum-shifting column for the entire afternoon. Slippery Rock sent 11 batters up to the plate, batting around the order while tallying seven hits and eight runs with three home runs.
 
Nutter began the scoring with her fifth home run of the year, pulling SRU ahead 2-1. A Mansfield RBI double scored Childs for a 3-1 lead just moments before Montie nabbed three RBI with a home run into left field for a 6-1 advantage. The 8-1 cushion was created by the inning's third home run ball, knocked out by Kennedy into centerfield.
 
After Childs singled to get on base in the bottom of the sixth, she rapidly took second base before Sukey doubled down the left line to bring her home for the game-winning run.
 
Slippery Rock wound up with a 12-2 edge in hitting. On top of The Rock's three home runs, Kennedy, Mansfield, Montie and Sukey combined for four doubles.
 
Childs, Kennedy and Montie each went 2-for-3 with the trio accumulating five RBI. Brown hit 1-for-2 at the plate while Freeman, Hurd, Nutter and Sukey each went 1-for-3 at the dish. By the end of the game, every Rock batter had registered at least one hit.
 
Anderson picked up the win, pitching for all 6.0 innings while striking out seven batters and allowing just two hits. Julie Shinavski (0-5) suffered the loss for UPJ after allowing the first 10 hits and eight runs.
 
GAME TWO – Slippery Rock 9, Pitt-Johnstown 0 (5 innings)
Slippery Rock only needed five innings and 80 minutes of play to take care of business in game two, rolling to a 9-0 victory – the team's largest shutout win since a 9-0 win over Jefferson University in 2018.
 
Anderson and Hurd combined for their first one-hit allowance together – the second of Anderson's career and Hurd's third.
 
Slippery Rock did not record one of its eight hits in the first inning but still took a 1-0 lead after a passed ball and an error with bases loaded.
 
A sac-fly by Sukey doubled the lead in the second to 2-0 just three pitches prior to Mansfield going yard to left-center to score three more and give The Rock the 5-0 upper hand.
 
Slippery Rock found four more runs in the third inning to extend the margin to 9-0. An RBI single from Brown that sent Nutter home gave SRU its sixth run, as Brown ended up scoring later on a wild pitch to go up 7-0. The nine-run pedestal was created by a two-RBI double up the middle that was hit hard by Montie.
 
With Anderson coming out of the circle after giving The Rock nine solid innings of pitching, Hurd wrapped up the final two innings by sitting down four of the six batters faced with a quartet of strikeouts.
 
Offensively, Brown led The Rock by going 2-for-2 and scoring three runs with one RBI. Childs, Kennedy, Mansfield and Nutter all went 1-for-2 while Freeman and Montie both carded 1-for-3 clips. In her third appearance as a sophomore transfer, Olivia Logan reached base for the first time at the Division II level by getting walked in one plate appearance.  
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will look to earn the series victory 1 p.m. Sunday when The Rock travels to Pitt-Johnstown for two more games against the Mountain Cats.





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