CLERMONT, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University softball team lost a six-inning battle to Ohio Dominican University 11-2 prior to falling just short in a 2-1 loss versus the University of Findlay Wednesday at The Spring Games.
 
The Rock fall to 3-9 on the season with the losses, both coming at the hands of teams that play in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Ohio Dominican Panthers rose to 7-12 overall, while the Findlay Oilers, which received votes in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II poll, improved to 13-5.
 
Freshman Shaylyn Shall led the team offensively for the second doubleheader in a row, batting a combined 2-for-5 with an RBI. Julia Montie went 2-for-7 with a double, while Alexsa Hurd went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run. Madison Davis knocked out a double into play (1-for-2), while Jessica Goldhardt and Alyssa Sheely each scored a run.
 
Alexa Uphold (1-1) recorded the game one loss, relieving Hurd for 1.1 innings. Hurd got the game going with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings, and Mackenzie Borkovich saw out the last two outs. Paige Gresgott (0-5) tallied two strikeouts in a complete-game effort against Findlay, allowing just two runs in 6.0 innings.
 
GAME ONE – Ohio Dominican 11, Slippery Rock 2 (6 innings)
The Rock saw a close battle with the Panthers get away late in an 11-2 loss that concluded in the sixth inning.
 
Hurd's first home run of the season gave Slippery Rock a 2-0 lead in the bottom the second, also scoring Sheely. The Panthers halved SRU's lead in the third inning thanks to an error, and they tied the game in the fourth on an RBI-double to left center.
 
Three hits and an error gave Ohio Dominican its first lead of the game in the fifth, 4-2. The Panthers proceeded to bat around in the sixth inning, erupting with seven runs on three hits and three errors to leap ahead with an 11-2 lead. No one was able to get on base for Slippery Rock, cutting the game short by an inning.
 
In addition to Hurd's (1-for-2, 2 RBI) home run, Montie went 1-for-3 in the game with a double. Arielle Brown stole one base. Hurd tossed five Ks in 4.0 innings before Uphold (1-1) and Borkovich worked together to pitch through the final two innings.
 
Kaleigh Golden led the Panthers with two doubles and an RBI in a 2-for-4 showing. Emma Grau (3-4) recorded six strikeouts while pitching the complete game for ODU. The Panthers outhit Slippery Rock 9-2 and committed no errors as opposed to SRU's five. Ohio Dominican left five on base, while Slippery Rock stranded two.
 
GAME TWO – Findlay 2, Slippery Rock 1
Slippery Rock gave Findlay a run for its money but could not complete the upset in a 2-1 decision.
 
After Goldhardt walked and stole a base to lead off for SRU, Shall singled to right center to collect the RBI and give Slippery Rock a 1-0 lead. The Oilers knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when a double into left field was followed up by an RBI single down the left alley.
 
Findlay took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third when a bunt brought a runner from third base home. Getting runners on base was not a problem for Slippery Rock in response, but The Rock wound up stranding six runners from that point on, unable to find an equalizing run.
 
Shall went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Davis finished the day at 1-for-2 with a double. Montie also notched another hit, batting 1-for-4. Goldhardt stole one base for SRU. Gresgott (0-5) tossed two strikeouts in the complete game.
 
Annika Bredel led Findlay by hitting 3-for-3 with a double and a run. Emma Jones (5-3) racked up seven strikeouts in the circle while holding The Rock to four hits. SRU committed no errors in the game and left nine runners on, while the Oilers totaled eight hits and one error while leaving six runners on base.
 
UP NEXT
The Rock will be back in Clermont for their penultimate day of play in The Spring Games tomorrow. SRU will play Bentley University at 9 a.m. and American International College at approximately 11:15 a.m.





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