SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team outlasted Shippensburg University through game one, defeating the Raiders 5-4 in a nine-inning thriller before dropping game two in five innings, 9-1, Sunday on the road.
 
The Rock begin the season at 1-1 overall, while the Raiders moved to 4-2 on the season. Slippery Rock's game one victory snapped a five-year winless streak in season openers, earning a momentary 1-0 record for the first time since 2019.
 
Julia Montie, last year's team-leader in home runs, picked up right where she left off with a 2-for-6 showing that featured a home run in each game. She concluded the day with a team-leading three RBI.
 
Emma Kennedy went 2-for-4 in game one with an RBI, playing a pivotal role defensively behind the plate in putting Slippery Rock in a winning position.
 
After being sidelined for the final 16 games of the 2024 season with an injury, Alyssa Sheely posted a hit in her first at-bat back on the diamond, going 1-for-3 on the day with an RBI. Arielle Brown (1-for-5) also logged a hit and an RBI, joining Sheely and sophomore transfer Jessica Goldhardt with a stolen base.
 
True freshman Shaylyn Shall made her Slippery Rock debut in game two with a start as the team's DP, rounding out SRU's offense with a hit (1-for-2).
 
Alexsa Hurd (1-0) earned the marathon win in game one, tossing eight strikeouts while piloting the circle for all 9.0 innings pitched. Paige Gresgott (0-1) got the game two start and remained in the circle for 3.2 innings before Mackenzie Borkovich notched a strikeout in the final 1.0 inning of the tilt.
 
GAME ONE – Slippery Rock 5, Shippensburg 4 (9 innings)
The Rock's first season-opening win in six years required a nine-inning classic with the Raiders that featured multiple walk-off opportunities for Shippensburg.
 
A first-inning home run from Montie that scored Brown as well as a single to centerfield by Kennedy in the second inning were SRU's only hits in the first eight innings of the contest.
 
That said, Slippery Rock's 2-0 lead from the first was enough to stay ahead until Shippensburg found a pair of tying runs in the bottom of the fourth to knot the game at 2-2.
 
The Raiders loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with no outs, well-within striking distance of a walk-off play. Grace Smith fielded a groundball and threw down to home for the force out to get a little closer to forcing extras, but the bases remained loaded.
 
Shippensburg's next batter again grounded the ball to Smith, who quickly tossed it to Kennedy for the force out at home. Kennedy wasted no time in turning two, launching the ball to Julia Nutter at first base to pull off an incredible double play that ended Shippensburg's chances of a regulation win.
 
Naomi Childs served as the International Tie Breaker runner in the seventh, scoring quickly to give SRU a 3-2 lead with a wild pitch and a groundout-RBI by Brown. A near-identical situation played out in the home half of the inning for Shippensburg, sending the two teams into the ninth inning tied at 3-3.
 
An RBI-single from Kennedy into centerfield brought Montie home for another one-run lead. Kennedy made it all the way to third base on the play thanks to a throwing error from the Shippensburg outfield. The Rock gained a 5-3 edge thanks to Sheely's RBI-single down the right side that brought Kennedy home.
 
The Raiders were able to get one run back with a wild pitch followed by an RBI-single, but Hurd struck out the final two batters to claim the 5-4 nailbiter of a win.
 
Kennedy led The Rock with a 2-for-4 effort at the plate that included an RBI, while Montie's home run put her at 1-for-4 in the game. Brown (1-for-4) and Sheely (1-for-1) both batted in a run for SRU as well. Hurd (1-0) nabbed eight strikeouts while facing 44 batters, allowing just two earned runs to begin the year with a 1.56 ERA.  
 
Alicia Ball (0-1) suffered the loss in her first appearance of the year for Shippensburg despite fanning 11 batters in 9.0 IP. Brie Wilmot had a monster game with the bat, going 4-for-5 with an RBI.
 
GAME TWO – Shippensburg 9, Slippery Rock 1 (5 innings)
The Raiders forced the split in game two, wrapping things up on the run rule in a 9-1 win in five innings.
 
Shippensburg doubled a 1-0 lead earned in the first inning to 2-0 in the bottom of the third thanks to back-to-back doubles.
 
Montie tried to spark The Rock with a home run in the top of the fourth, but Shippensburg responded with a six-run frame in the bottom of the fourth. It only took two hits and an error for Shippensburg to lunge out to an 8-1 advantage that turned into a game-clinching 9-1 lead on an RBI-single in the next inning.
 
Montie and Shall had Slippery Rock's two hits, both going 1-for-2. Gresgott (0-1) suffered the loss after pitching the opening 3.2 innings. Borkovich registered a strikeout in the final 1.0 inning of relief.
 
Lindsey Haser (2-for-4) led Shippensburg offensively through the game with two RBI coming off the bat of Caitlyn Martell (1-for-3). Madalyn Dyer (3-0) remained undefeated with four strikeouts in the 5.0-inning cameo.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will remain in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division territory, heading to Shepherd University for a 12 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow.





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