CLARION, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped a pair of one-run games to Clarion, 5-4 in nine innings and 11-10 in eight innings, to close out the regular season Sunday at Memorial Stadium.
With the losses, Slippery Rock fell to 26-18 overall with a 20-8 mark inside the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The 20 PSAC West wins by SRU was their second-highest mark in program history, just below the 2025 team's 21 divisional wins. 11 of The Rock's 18 losses this season have come by one run.
Clarion's record improved to 18-24 overall and 12-16 in the PSAC West. The Golden Eagles squeaked into the PSAC Tournament with their pair of wins combined with Gannon University and Edinboro splitting a doubleheader today.
Slippery Rock was led today by three players who had hits in both games of the doubleheader.
Jordyn Pelles and
Alyssa Sheely each had four hits on the day. Pelles went 4-for-6 with two runs, one RBI and two walks, while Sheely finished 4-for-8 with one run and three RBIs.
Maddie Cavenaugh ended the day going 2-for-6 with two runs, three RBIs and one walk. Cavenaugh completed the regular season with a .453 batting average, earning the freshman the PSAC's batting title, as well as its leader in on-base percentage (.549).
GAME 1: Clarion 5 – Slippery Rock 4 – 9 innings
W: Emma Hipps (7-10)
L: Rachel Baker (14-7)
Clarion struck first in game one with one run in the second inning.
Slippery Rock took a 2-1 lead in the third inning with a two-RBI double from Sheely, driving in Cavenaugh and Pelles.
The Golden Eagles evened the score, 2-2, in the bottom of the third inning.
The Rock re-took a one-run advantage in the top of the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly from Cavenaugh to score
Sydney Brown.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Clarion brought one run across the plate to tie the game, 3-3.
For the third time, Slippery Rock grabbed a one-run lead, this time in the top of the eighth inning. After a one-out single by Sheely, she advanced to third base on an error.
Alyssa Massucci took advantage with SRU's second sacrifice fly in the game to take a 4-3 lead.
The Golden Eagles were equal to the task as they tied the game with one run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After Slippery Rock was unable to score in the top of the ninth, Clarion brought the winning run across to take a 5-4 victory.
At the plate, Sheely paced The Rock with a 3-for-4 performance with one run and two RBIs. Pelles was the final Rock athlete with multiple hit sin game one with a 2-for-3 showing and one run scored.
Cavenaugh and Brown each had one hit and one run, while Cavenaugh added one RBI as well. Massucci earned the final RBI for SRU in game one.
In the circle,
Rachel Baker (14-7) was handed the loss after pitching 8.1 innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on 14 hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Baker's regular season ERA ended at 2.47, the lowest ERA for a Rock pitcher since Camie Shumaker's 1.96 ERA in the 2020 season. The freshman ended the regular season with the lowest ERA in the PSAC and the fifth lowest ERA in the entire PSAC.
Emma Hipps earned the win for Clarion after pitching all nine innings and giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
GAME 2: Clarion 11 – Slippery Rock 10 – 8 innings
W: Emma Hipps (8-10)
L: Brooke Tatar (0-2)
Slippery Rock got the scoring started in game two with two runs in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Cavenaugh hit a two-RBI single to score
Grace Smith and
Paige Parker.
Clarion cut The Rock's lead in half with one run in the bottom of the second.
SRU answered back in the top of the third with two runs, giving Slippery Rock a 4-1 lead. Massucci drove in Pelles with an RBI-triple before scoring on a wild pitch.
The Golden Eagles then took a 5-4 advantage with a four-run fifth inning.
The Rock immediately re-took the lead with a six-run sixth inning, giving SRU a 10-5 edge. Smith, Pelles, Sheely and Mansfield (2) each had RBIs, while Massucci, Smith, Cavenaugh, Mansfield,
Addie Warzala and
Sydney Lutz all scored runs in the rally.
Clarion came back to score five runs in the sixth and seventh innings, tying the game 10-10 before claiming its second walk-off victory in the eighth, 11-10.
Offensively, three SRU players had multiple hits in game two. Smith led Slippery Rock with a 3-for-4 performance that included two runs and one RBI. Pelles and Massucci rounded out the SRU players with multiple hits in game two with two hits each. Pelles had one run and one RBI, while Massucci scored two runs and earned one RBI.
Cavenaugh, Mansfield, Sheely and Parker each finished game two with one hit. Cavenaugh, Mansfield and Parker all scored one run, while Cavenaugh (2), Mansfield and Sheely all racked up RBIs. Â Â
In the circle,
Brooke Tatar (0-2) took the loss for SRU after pitching 1.1 innings and surrendering two runs on three hits.
Paige Gresgott started the game for The Rock and pitched 4.1 innings, giving up five runs on eight hits and no walks with four strikeouts.
Kayla Williams pitched in between Gresgott and Tatar, giving up four runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks.
Hipps also earned the win in game two after pitching two innings and giving up no runs on one hit.
Slippery Rock opens the PSAC Tournament with a matchup against East Stroudsburg University 12:30 p.m. May 6 at Grand Slam Park in Binghamton, New York. The PSAC Tournament will act as a double elimination style tournament, guaranteeing Slippery Rock at least two games.
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