ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader and claimed the season series over Gannon University Saturday at McConnell Family Stadium.
The Golden Knights took game one, 7-1, before The Rock claimed game two, 4-2.
With the split, Slippery Rock is now 26-16 on the season overall with a 20-6 record inside the PSAC West. With the results, The Rock have been locked into second place in the PSAC West. The PSAC East regular season has been concluded, setting up Slippery Rock with East Stroudsburg University for its opening game of the PSAC Tournament May 6.
Gannon ends the day with a 18-22 overall record and a 11-15 mark in the PSAC West.
Slippery Rock was led today by
Aubrey Mansfield and
Maddie Cavenaugh, who each picked up hits in both games of the doubleheader.
Mansfield and Cavenaugh each went 3-for-6, while Mansfield had three RBIs and Cavenaugh scored two runs.
GAME 1: Gannon 7 – Slippery Rock 1
W: Miranda Biles (7-9)
L: Rachel Baker (14-6)
Gannon opened the scoring in game one with five runs in the second inning. The Golden Knights then added two more runs in the third, opening a 7-0 advantage.
Slippery Rock got on the board in the sixth inning when Mansfield hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Cavenaugh
SRU put two runners on in the seventh, but couldn't get either across as Gannon closed out a 7-1 win.
At the plate, Mansfield led SRU with a 1-for-2 performance with one RBI. Cavenaugh,
Alyssa Massucci and
Grace Smith each went 1-for-3, while Cavenaugh added one run.
In the circle,
Rachel Baker (14-6) took the loss after pitching 1.1 innings and surrendering five runs on four hits and one walk with one strikeout.
Brooke Tatar finished the game for Slippery Rock, pitching 4.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks with one strikeout.
Miranda Biles earned the win for Gannon after pitching all seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
GAME 2: Slippery Rock 4 – Gannon 2
W: Paige Gresgott (9-4)
L: Miranda Biles (7-10)
Slippery Rock opened the scoring in the first inning of game two. Cavenaugh started the game with single, followed by
Jordyn Pelles reaching on a fielder's choice. After advancing to second on a wild pitch and to third on Mansfield's groundout, Pelles scored on an RBI-single by
Alyssa Sheely, giving Slippery Rock a 1-0 lead.
Gannon tied the game with one run in the second and took the lead with one run in the fifth.
Down to their final three outs, The Rock found three runs in the top of the seventh.
Sydney Brown opened the inning as a pinch hitter and reached after she was hit by a pitch.
Madison Davis moved Brown over to second base with a sacrifice bunt before
Addie Deal reached on a fielder's choice that put Brown on third.
Jessica Goldhardt pinch ran for Deal and stole second base before Cavenaugh was intentionally walked, loading the bases in the process. Pelles tied the game, 2-2, with a sacrifice fly, followed by a two-RBI single from Mansfield, giving Slippery Rock a 4-2 advantage it would not relinquish.
Offensively, Cavenaugh and Mansfield each had had two hits, while Mansfield had two RBIs and Cavenaugh scored one run.
Sheely and
Sarah Brown picked up one hit each, whilst Sheely added one RBI.
In the circle,
Paige Gresgott earned the win in the circle with her sixth complete game of the season. Gresgott surrendered just two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Biles was handed the loss for Gannon after pitching one inning, giving up three runs (zero earned) on one hit and one walk. Josie Spano started for Gannon, going six innings and surrendering one run on five hits and one walk.
Slippery Rock concludes its regular season with a doubleheader 1 p.m. Sunday at Clarion. Earlier in the season, Slippery Rock swept the Golden Eagles with 11-3 and 18-9 victories at Kasnevich Field.
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