SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team unveiled newly-renovated Kasnevich Field in cinematic fashion, defeating Wheeling University 5-2 in game one before overcoming a seven-run deficit and outlasting the Cardinals in a 15-14 thriller that spanned nine innings.
 
With their first home-opening sweep since 2022, The Rock move to 6-12 on the season. The Cardinals drop to 3-21 with the pair of losses.
 
Emma Kennedy walked the Cardinals off in the bottom of the ninth inning of game two, capping off a 4-for-5 day with two doubles, two RBI and three runs. Sydney Brown went 3-for-4 with two RBI. She became the second Rock softball player in history – and the first in 21 years – to record two triples in the same game with both coming in game one.
 
Julia Nutter went 5-for-9 with two doubles and three RBI, while Alexsa Hurd launched a home run in a 2-for-8 day that also came with a double.
 
Alyssa Sheely (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Aubrey Mansfield (3-for-9, 1 2B, 1 RBI), Shaylyn Shall (2-for-8, 1 2B, 1 RBI), Sarah Brown (2-for-4, 1 RBI), Jessica Goldhardt (2-for-4, 1 RBI), Naomi Childs (1-for-1, 1 RBI), Arielle Brown (1-for-7, 1 RBI) and Julia Montie (1-for-7) rounded out Slippery Rock's 28-hit day.
 
Hurd (4-3) tossed 10 strikeouts through 7.0 innings in game one, picking up the win while allowing no walks and just two runs. Kayla Williams (1-2) closed out the game-two marathon with the victory, recording one strikeout in 1.0 inning.
 
Paige Gresgott and Alexa Uphold combined for two Ks in 2.0 innings before Mackenzie Borkovich did the bulk of the game-two heavy lifting by fanning three batters in 6.0 frames.
 
Game two's 15-14 score marked the highest-scoring game Rock softball has been involved in since defeating Clarion 23-6 in 2019. The contest also included the most runs allowed by SRU in a win.
 
GAME ONE – Slippery Rock 5, Wheeling 2
10 strikeouts from Hurd parlayed with two triples by Sydney Brown led The Rock to a methodical 5-2 win over Wheeling in game one.
 
The Rock took a 3-1 lead through four innings with one run in each the second, third and fourth innings. SRU got on the board with Sydney Brown's first triple in the bottom of the second that scored Kennedy. The Rock eked ahead when Hurd doubled in the bottom of the third and extended their lead to two runs with a Sheely RBI in the fourth.
 
Sydney Brown led off in the sixth inning with her second triple and was plated on an RBI-double from Nutter that gave Slippery Rock a 4-1 lead. That advantage increased to 5-1 when Nutter scored later on in the inning. Wheeling got one back in the top of the seventh but left two stranded as Hurd logged two more strikeouts.
 
Kennedy and Sydney Brown both went 2-for-3 in game one with additional hitting being produced by Arielle Brown (1-for-3), Shall (1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 run), Hurd (1-for-4, 1 RBI), Nutter (1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 run) and Sheely (1-for-3, 1 RBI). Montie stole one base. Slippery Rock outhit Wheeling 9-8 and committed no errors as opposed to WU's two.
 
Hurd moved to 4-3 with the complete game, stacking up her third consecutive game of at least 10 strikeouts in a row. Kaylin Shields (2-7) suffered the loss for Wheeling with two strikeouts in 6.0 innings. She led the team offensively batting 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
 
GAME TWO – Slippery Rock 15, Wheeling 14 (9 innings)
The Rock trailed by seven runs in the sixth inning and four runs in the eighth but showed no quit in one of the most impressive showings of resilience in program history when they came away with a 15-14 nine-inning win.
 
An RBI-walk to Childs and an RBI-single into left field from Goldhardt knotted the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the second after Wheeling posted a run in each of the first two frames. The Cardinals erupted for six hits to pile up seven runs and take a 9-2 lead in the top of the third, an inning that saw The Rock use three different pitchers.
 
SRU showed fight in the fourth but left bases loaded, needing to wait until the sixth inning to get back in the scoring column. A bizarre passed ball that could not be gathered in the backstop scored both Goldhardt and Childs, cutting Wheeling's lead to 9-4.
 
Wheeling was no-hit between the fourth and seventh innings, leaving the door open just enough for The Rock to try and come back from down five in the bottom of the seventh – and that's just what Slippery Rock accomplished, using six hits to tally five runs and force extra innings.
 
Hurd led off with a solo home run – the first in the remodeled park's history – that brought the score to 9-5. Montie, Mansfield, Nutter, Sarah Brown and Sydney Brown strung together five straight singles that shaved the difference to 9-8. An RBI-walk to Hurd with bases loaded tied the game but SRU left three on base, unable to steal the win then and there.
 
Wheeling looked to take advantage of this by putting the game away in the eighth, scoring four runs in four hits to earn a 13-9 lead. The Rock responded again in thunderous fashion, seeing back-to-back doubles from Nutter and Kennedy along with two more hits and a costly infield error level the contest at 13-13.
 
The Cardinals brought one across the plate in the top of the ninth to take their fourth different lead of the game, 14-13. Mansfield doubled into deep left center with one out, tying the game with an RBI that returned Arielle Brown home. Mansfield got to third base with two outs, and Kennedy walked it off for the 15-14 win on an RBI-single to left field.
 
Nutter went 4-for-6 with a double, two RBI and two runs, while Mansfield finished the game 3-for-6 with a double, three runs and an RBI – their six at-bats in a single game tie the program-high, while Nutter's four hits in one game are tied for second all-time.
 
Kennedy's walk-off single concluded a 2-for-2 game with two RBI and one run. She came in for Sarah Brown, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Goldhardt batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run as well.
 
Shall (1-for-5), Hurd (1-for-4), Montie (1-for-3), Childs (1-for-1), Sydney Brown (1-for-1) and Sheely (1-for-1) all contributed to SRU's offense. Additionally, Jeanna Sukey scored one run. Slippery Rock ended the game with 19 hits, which rank fourth all-time in school history. The Rock's 42 total at-bats in game two stack up fifth in the record book.
 
Williams (1-2) earned the first win of her collegiate career with one strikeout in the final inning. Gresgott started in the circle and pitched two strikeouts in 2.0 innings before Uphold faced two batters in the third inning. Borkovich tossed three strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Despite playing two-thirds of the game, she allowed less than half of the hits.
 
Kaylin Shields (2-8) came in relief for the final 0.2 innings of the game, recording both of Wheeling's losses on the day. Maria Clark hurled one strikeout in 6.1 innings for the Cardinals before Tasiana Taufahema and Kearstin Monday combined for 1.2 innings. Ava Kresak went 3-for-6 with a double, while Chyla Miller and Amber Morgan both had triples.
 
In a game in which both teams recorded one error, Slippery Rock outhit Wheeling, 19-15. The Rock left 12 on base with seven stranded by the Cardinals.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play with three straight road doubleheaders, first traveling to Pitt-Johnstown 2 p.m. Friday.





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