ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team suffered a 5-3 road loss before inclement weather suspended game two Tuesday at Gannon University.
 
Slippery Rock earned a 3-2 lead in game two through two complete innings. The remainder of the contest will be made up at a later date TBA with the teams picking up right where they left off.
 
The loss bumped The Rock down to 21-24 overall with a 14-12 mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division play. The Golden Knights improved to 24-11 on the year and 19-6 in the PSAC West.
 
Alexsa Hurd led the SRU offense going 3-for-4 with two doubles, while Jeanna Sukey recorded her first career home run in a 1-for-3 day with two RBI.
 
Aubrey Mansfield went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double with Julia Nutter adding Slippery Rock's seventh hit of the day in a 1-for-2 showing.
 
Kelsi Anderson (8-10) fanned 12 batters while giving up just two earned runs through the 6.0 innings pitched. Gannon's Gabi Vasi (6-5) earned the win after tallying four strikeouts in 7.0 innings. GU held a 9-7 edge in hits.
 
GAME ONE – Gannon 5, Slippery Rock 3
Slippery Rock was not able to maintain a one-run lead through the final two innings, dropping game one to the Golden Knights, 5-3.
 
Gannon got off to a 2-0 lead through three innings, scoring on RBI singles in the first and third.
 
While The Rock mustered a pair of hits in the first four innings, their offense started to add to the board in the top of the fifth. After Nutter got on with a hard-hit single into left field, Sukey slugged her first homer to tie the game at 2-2.  Mansfield doubled into right center bringing Hurd home before the third out, giving The Rock a 3-2 lead.
 
GU did not trail for long though, quickly adding the game-winning trio of runs in the sixth inning. A hit-by-pitch, single and passed ball were followed up with a fielder's choice that scored the matching run at 3-3. Two back-to-back RBI singles each added a run for the Golden Knights, giving Gannon a 5-3 advantage.
 
Hurd doubled deep into left field in the top of the seventh with two outs, but SRU was unable to send her across the plate in the two-run loss.
 
GAME TWO – SUSPENDED TO TBA
Slippery Rock took a 3-2 lead through the first two innings before heavy rains came through to postpone the remainder of the contest to a later date TBA. The game will be resumed with Slippery Rock up to bat in the top of the third.
 
Any further schedule changes will be announced on RockAthletics.com and all other Slippery Rock official social media sites as information becomes available.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
SRU will coincidentally play another rain-suspended game next, finishing out the final 2.5 innings of April 17's game two with Clarion. The Golden Eagles are leading 7-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. First pitch will come 4 p.m. Wednesday at Kasnevich Field.





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