GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team lost an early game-one lead in an 8-3 loss to Seton Hill University and saw a game-two comeback effort fall short in a 6-5 decision Thursday at the SHU Softball Complex.
 
The sweep drops The Rock to 18-17 overall and 12-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division, where Slippery Rock still sits atop the standings.
 
Alexsa Hurd crushed her ninth and 10^th home runs of the season in a 2-for-6 combined effort, driving a team-leading three runs in. In the circle, Hurd (11-5) pitched a complete game-one with three strikeouts.
 
Emma Kennedy (3-for-5, 1 RBI), Arielle Brown (3-for-6, 1 2B, 2 RBI) and Aubrey Mansfield (3-for-7, 1 2B) all led Slippery Rock's offense throughout the doubleheader. Julia Nutter (2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI) joined Hurd with two hits, while Julia Montie (1-for-6, 1 2B), Shaylyn Shall (1-for-7) and Sydney Brown (1-for-3, 1 RBI) all added a hit as well.
 
Paige Gresgott (3-8) got the game-two start in the circle for Slippery Rock and tossed one strikeout in 3.0 innings. Kayla Williams relieved her for the final 3.0 innings, allowing just two hits and no runs on 10 batters faced.
 
GAME ONE – Seton Hill 8, Slippery Rock 3
The Rock were unable to hold onto an early three-run lead in an 8-3 game-one loss.
 
Slippery Rock went up 2-0 in second inning with four singles coming from Mansfield, Kennedy, Sydney Brown and Arielle Brown. A lead-off home run in the top of the third from Hurd lifted SRU to a 3-0 advantage, but Seton Hill responded in a big way with six runs on four hits and an error in the home half of the inning.
 
Seton Hill's 6-3 lead was extended to 7-3 in the fourth inning thanks in part to another error, and a lead-off home run by the Griffins in the sixth secured an 8-3 victory. Slippery Rock was unable to get on base in the top of the seventh.
 
Hurd's homer came in a 1-for-2 game, joining Kennedy (2-for-3) and Sydney Brown (1-for-3) with one RBI each. Arielle Brown and Mansfield each went 2-for-3 at the plate as well. Hurd (11-5) struck three batters out in 6.0 innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs.
 
Shelby Telegdy (11-7) was the winning pitcher for Seton Hill, fanning two batters and allowing eight hits in 7.0 innings. Telegdy also hit SHU's sixth-inning home run to bat 1-for-4 in the game.
 
Slippery Rock contributed three of the game's five errors and left four runners on base as opposed to Seton Hill's eight.
 
GAME TWO – Seton Hill 6, Slippery Rock 5
Slippery Rock had to fight from behind rather than try to protect a lead in game two but fell short in a close 6-5 comeback effort.
 
The Griffins took a 1-0 lead in a no-hitter first inning, bringing a run across on four walks. Seton Hill extended its lead to 4-0 by way of a three-run home run in the third inning.
 
Slippery Rock cut into the lead in the fourth to make it 4-1 on a Nutter RBI-double into left-center that scored Shall. Seton Hill continued to pour it on in the bottom half of the frame, using three hits to score two more runs and go up 6-1.
 
Hurd homered for the second time in the afternoon and the 10^th time this season with Arielle Brown on first base in the top of the fifth, chipping into the lead and making it 6-3. Back-to-back lead-off singles in the sixth by Nutter and Kennedy were rewarded on a two-run double by Arielle Brown, bringing The Rock within reach with a 6-5 deficit.
 
Seton Hill was quieted in the bottom of the sixth, but Slippery Rock could not score either of its runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh, seeing its rally fall just shy.
 
Hurd's home run came as part of a 1-for-4 game, as Arielle Brown (1-for-3, 2 RBI), Montie (1-for-3), Mansfield (1-for-4) and Nutter (2-for-3, 1 RBI) each contributed a double. Shall (1-for-3) and Kennedy (1-for-2) each scored one run. Gresgott (3-8) threw one strikeout in a 3.0-inning start before Williams allowed no runs and just two hits in the final 3.0 innings.
 
Lacey Lynn (9-3) got the pitching win for Seton Hill, tossing one strikeout and five walks in 6.0 innings. Shelby Telegdy (11-7, 2) picked up the save to go 1-0, 1 on the day with one K in the final frame. Lynn (1-for-2, 4 RBI) and Taylor Schmitt (1-for-3, 1 RBI) each hit a home run.
 
Slippery Rock outhit Seton Hill 8-6 and committed the game's only error. The Rock left nine runners stranded with the Griffins leaving four aboard.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will be back at home to host Clarion in a PSAC West doubleheader 2 p.m. Friday at Kasnevich Field.





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