The Slippery Rock University softball team (12-14, 4-1 in PSAC) split a doubleheader in making a trip to Greensburg to clash with Seton Hill (18-11, 4-3) Saturday. After the games, SHU holds a 14-13 lead in the closely-contested all-time series between the schools.
Against the PSAC West-leading Griffins, No. 1 starting pitcher Camie Shumaker entered with a 2.35 ERA over 83.1 innings pitched and 67 strikeouts. After posting seven zeroes on the scoreboard in the first leg, she walked out of the circle with her twelfth complete game of the spring.
The hosts threatened in the first inning, loading the bases with one out, but Seton Hill’s next two batters grounded into fielder’s choices. No Griffins baserunner would pass second base for the rest of the game. In all, Shumaker only allowed three hits and walked two.
On offense, Slippery Rock first scored in the fourth inning. Junior centerfielder Alexa Guglielmino reached base on an error and senior shortstop Kailey Myers was later walked. With two down, redshirt freshman Adeline Nicholson hit her third home run of the campaign to give the Green and White a three-run lead.
With a sacrifice fly to center, the Rock’s Caitlyn MacKelvey helped sophomore third baseman Becca Roesch touch home in the next inning. Freshman Maggie Moore smacked a two-run homer in the sixth to seal a 6-0 victory.
Freshman Chloe Sharman, with a 3.61 ERA in 52.1 innings and 30 punchouts, started game two for Slippery Rock. She allowed a run in the second inning after SHU’s Christiana Skrabak led off with a single, advanced on a groundout, stole third and motored home on a sac fly.
With two outs and the base paths full in the third, Nichole McClendon singled, scoring two and extending the Griffins lead to 3-0.
The Rock plated an unearned run in the form of Guglielmino in the fourth. The tally would be the Green and White’s only in game two.
The Griffins’ Skyla Greco threw the entire game, conceding only four hits and three walks while sitting half-a-dozen down on strikes. Sharman went six innings but took her third loss of the season.
