The Slippery Rock University women’s softball team continued their winning streak with yet another split, this time against Edinboro University (6-8, 6-8 PSAC West). The SRU Softball Complex hosted the action as The Rock defeated the Fighting Scots 2-1.
Sophomore infielder Cami Fisk had the walk-off RBI single that put Slippery Rock (4-16, 4-16 PSAC West) past Edinboro in a victorious effort. The PSAC West doubleheader was split, with the second game being a Slippery Rock loss tallied in the books. The outcome was reversed when a closely-contested game two was taken by Edinboro, 3-1.
Slippery Rock’s Erin Gardner, a sophomore infielder, had a good day offensively, going 3-for-7 with a double and two runs. In addition to that, senior outfielder Alexa Guglielmino and sophomore outfielder Anna Villies provided a double each in game one. Junior catcher Leah Vith, along with Fisk, also added an RBI a piece.
From the mound, sophomore pitcher Chloe Sharman (1-2, 2.97 ERA) came in as relief, only allowing one run off of three hits. Over 3.2 innings, she also had four strikeouts. Sharman worked her way out of a jam in the seventh to seal the deal with two players on.
Freshman pitcher Kelsi Anderson (1-7, 3.00 ERA) started in the circle and held out strong until Fisk secured the 2-1 walk off win breakaway in the seventh. Anderson lowered her ERA to 3.00 by not allowing an earned run up until her relief by Sharman.
Slippery Rock’s offense was led by Villies and Guglielmino, but also Gardner, who went 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Fighting Scots were given a chance by the offense led by Cheyenne Shughart and Lauren Gierlak in the first game of the series, each putting a hit up on the scoreboard. Maya Kozup hit a triple, her first of the season.
Also, Macy Sral (4-3, 4.00 ERA) yielded two runs, one being the walk-off by Fisk. She struck out four to finish out the complete game effort that would result in a loss.
Gardner posted a good day for Slippery Rock, scoring on a passed ball, and a bunt single to advance numerous baserunners to score. Edinboro fought back with a Nya Adams stolen base and scoring off a throwing error.
The game would remain tied through the next four innings, with 11 runners left stranded in scoring positions before The Rock walked it off for a game one W.
In the second half of the doubleheader series, Slippery Rock fell to Edinboro with a 3-1 deficit. The majority of their runs came from the fifth inning, but they added an insurance run in the seventh to put the Rock away. A rally in the sixth inning came quickly but wouldn’t be enough runs to keep them in it.
Gardner kept her hot streak alive in the second game with a 2-for-3 series of at bats with a double and a run scored. Vith also had a double and an RBI during her 1-for-2 series at the plate. Villies would round off the offense with a single after reaching the bases once.
From the circle, freshman Claire Zimmerman (2-7, 4.68 ERA) pitched over 4.1 innings, yielding two runs, two walks, and three hits. Sharman would finish from the mound going 2.2 frames with one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
Lauren Bush (2-1, 5.65 ERA) starting pitcher for the day, held out the complete-game effort for the 3-1 victory over Slippery Rock for a split.
The two teams returned to action not long after, and the result was no different, with yet another split series doubleheader. Slippery Rock (5-17, 5-17 PSAC West) came from behind to take the first game victory 6-4 but lost the second game with a close score of 3-2.
Edinboro (7-9, 7-9 PSAC West) rallied in the second game with a large effort from Pasquale.
Offensively, The Rock was strongly led by Maggie Moore, whose go-ahead, two-RBI single secured the lone win that day. Moore held out a strong performance in both games, going 2-for-5 with three-RBI.
Adding to the day was Erin Gardner and Leah Vith who each had multiple hits.
From the circle, Chloe Sharman (2-2, 2.73 ERA) and Kelsi Anderson (1-7, 2.66 ERA) held down the mound for a split game. Anderson got the start for the first 3.2 innings allowing four unearned runs, until Sharman came in for the final 3.1, allowing one unearned run.
For game one, Slippery Rock was trailing for quite some time before Lexi Zavarelle and Anna Villies stepped up to the plate. Zavarelle blasted a pinch-hit triple followed by the RBI-single from Villies and a two-run single by Moore. Moore went 2-for-4 with three RBI, yielding the two-run lead which evidently put The Rock above the Fighting Scots.
Maura Pasquale went 2-for-3 for Edinboro’s lineup while Mazy Sral (4-3, 3.88 ERA) stayed behind the mound and pitched 4.2 innings.
Cami Fisk followed up her teammates with a run off of an Edinboro fielding error.
Not long after, the Fighting Scots took their first lead of the day with a three-run double to left by Pasquale in the fourth. That gap hit and another run were voided when Zavarelle slammed a triple. The Rock rallied behind her with an Alexa Guglielmino RBI-groundout. Mackenzie Freeman and Gardner kept it going, got onto base, and scored off fielding errors.
Villies came up big in the end with the game-tying single that was followed by Fisk filling the bases. Yet again, Moore came up big with a liner to seal the 6-4 victory that the Fighting Scots couldn’t recover from.
Game two was a different story for Slippery Rock who fell to Edinboro by a short deficit of 3-2.
Claire Zimmerman (2-8, 4.83 ERA) stayed the course for Slippery Rock, allowing three runs over five hits in three innings in a strong effort that resulted in a close loss. Anderson came in to relieve Zimmerman, allowing two hits and two strikeouts. Lauren Busch held out for her second consecutive complete-game win for Edinboro.
Leah Vith went 2-for-3 with an RBI-double to put Slippery Rock up early. Regan Hozak, Freeman and Guglielmino all followed it up with a single apiece.
Kearson Wagner showed up and was a reliable source for Edinboro beginning in the second inning with RBI-single. Slippery Rock jumped ahead not long after, but Edinboro wasn’t done with them yet.
The Fighting Scots took the lead back when Pasquale roped a homerun out of left field and was sealed by Bush who retired the next 10 of 11 batters. Edinboro picked up the last series win 3-2 splitting half with The Rock.
Slippery Rock will prepare for an eight-game week facing off with non-conference competitors Wheeling and West Liberty University.
