SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team picked up its eighth and ninth wins in the last 10 games by rolling to 3-2 and 8-3 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victories over Seton Hill University Saturday at Kasnevich Field.
 
The sweep moves The Rock to 13-13 on the season despite having faced just five different opponents since carrying a 4-12 overall record. SRU also moves back into a tie for first in the PSAC West with Indiana University (Pa.) thanks to a 7-1 mark. The Griffins fall to 14-10 overall and 3-5 in conference play.

SRU's 7-1 start to PSAC West action marks its best start in conference play since in 42 years. Jan Kasnevich led the 1983 team to a 9-1 conference record as well as a PSAC Tournament win.
 
Alexsa Hurd (8-4) pitched a complete game one with 11 strikeouts, flaunting a shutout until the final at-bat of the contest. Paige Gresgott (2-6) earned the win in game two, tossing one strikeout in the opening 4.0 frames. Kayla Williams (1-2, 2) earned her second career save by recording one strikeout and allowing no runs in the final 3.0 innings of the series.
 
Shaylyn Shall once again led The Rock offensively batting 4-for-7 with a squad-high four RBI. Aubrey Mansfield went 3-for-7 with a double and three RBI, while Julia Montie (2-for-5, 1 2B) and Julia Nutter (2-for-5) each added two hits for SRU.
 
Arielle Brown (1-for-4), Alexsa Hurd (1-for-7), Jessica Goldhardt (1-for-2, 1 RBI) and Naomi Childs (1-for-4, 1 RBI) all contributed to Slippery Rock's hitting as well. The Rock combined for eight stolen bases in as many attempts in the doubleheader with two coming from both Brown and Goldhardt.
 
GAME ONE – Slippery Rock 3, Seton Hill 2
Slippery Rock jumped out to an early lead that it protected down the stretch in a 3-2 win to open the day.
 
Four straight hits led off for The Rock including a two-RBI-single by Shall that scored Hurd and Brown to take a 2-0 lead. Mansfield singled up the middle to get Shall home, granting The Rock a 3-0 lead heading into the second inning.
 
SRU's next hit did not come until the fifth inning, but the Griffins had not been able to make much noise offensively in the meantime.
 
SHU loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh and scored two runs on a single into left field. However, Grace Paredes – who was on first base for SHU – attempted to come all the way home but got caught in a rundown in which Mansfield tagged her out to win the game.
 
Hurd (8-4) continued her phenomenal season with 11 more strikeouts in 7.0 innings. She has now tossed at least 10 strikeouts in each of her last seven complete games. Shall and Mansfield each went 2-for-3, combining for all three RBI. Brown (1-for-2) and Hurd (1-for-3) had the other two hits in the game for The Rock.
 
Shelby Telegdy (7-5) was the pitcher of record for Seton Hill, noting the loss despite seven strikeouts and just one walk in 6.0 innings. Five different Griffins players each registered one single in the game with both RBI coming from Anna Kalkowski.
 
Slippery Rock finished the game with six hits, no errors and five left on base, whereas the Griffins concluded with five hits, no errors and seven left on base.
 
GAME TWO – Slippery Rock 8, Seton Hill 3
Slippery Rock faced a three-run deficit quickly into game two but methodically overcame it and pulled away with a four-run fourth inning to pick up an 8-3 win.
 
Two hits and an error in the top of the first allowed Seton Hill to leap out to a 3-0 lead, but The Rock cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the second on three hits and an error. Childs drove in a run on a tough single to the pitcher with bases loaded before Goldhardt notched an RBI-hit-by-pitch.
 
After Gresgott got out of the third inning with two SHU runners on, The Rock tied things up at 3-3 when Shall took advantage of a wild pitch.
 
Four hits and an error in the fourth inning gave way to four runs and a 7-3 lead for SRU. After Shall and Montie knocked in a run on RBI-singles, Mansfield doubled to right center for two RBI and later scored on a throwing error.
 
Slippery Rock picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth after Goldhardt was plated on a groundout. She initially got on base with a bunt-single and stole two bases to get into scoring position.
 
Seton Hill tried to rally in the top of the seventh by loading the bases, but Slippery Rock's defensive efforts saw the sweep out with no additional runs allowed.
 
Gresgott (2-6) earned the win with one strikeout in the starting 4.0 frames. She was relieved by Williams (1-2, 2), who recorded her team-leading second save of the year with one K in the last 3.0 innings.
 
Lacey Lynn (4-2) suffered the loss for SHU with two Ks and eight hits allowed in the opening 4.0 innings. Briahna McCombs was SHU's pitcher for the last 2.0 frames, adding one strikeout. Paredes was Seton Hill's top batter in game two, going 3-for-4 with a double. Lynn went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
 
Shall (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Montie (2-for-3, 1 2B) and Nutter (2-for-3) led SRU at the plate with additional offense coming courtesy of Mansfield (1-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI), Childs (1-for-4, 1 RBI) and Goldhardt (1-for-2, 1 RBI).
 
Brown and Goldhardt stole two bases each with extra stolen bases stemming from Shall, Nutter and Sarah Brown. The Rock have not stolen more than five bases in a single game in the last decade prior to snatching seven in game two against the Griffins. The Rock last stole seven bases in a game 14 years ago against Salem University.
 
Slippery Rock's game-two win came with nine hits, one error and nine runners left on base. The Griffins outhit The Rock with 10 hits but committed two errors and deserted 11 runners aboard.
 
UP NEXT
The Rock will look to stay unbeaten at home 2 p.m. Tuesday when they host IUP in a PSAC West doubleheader that will feature the top two teams in the division standings.





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