2008 Woodie Awards
Softball gets first PSAC victories in doubleheader against Clarion
By Brandon Fox
Rocket Sports Editor
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Sports
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The saying can be applied to the record of Slippery Rock University's softball team.
It was the best of times…
The Rock has reached the 20-win plateau for the fourth straight season, thanks in part to an outstanding 18-2 non-conference record.
It was the worst of times…
The Rock has virtually fallen out of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoff race by virtue of its 2-10 in-conference record, which included the Rock burying itself with an 0-8 start.
"We know the position we have put ourselves in when it comes to playoffs," sophomore Sheree Horvath said. "It is obviously a huge heartbreak, but we are working hard to get as many wins as possible. We still believe in each other and we are going to work together to win as much as we can."
The Green & White has won six of its last eight, including Saturday's doubleheader drubbing of PSAC doormat Clarion.
The wins are the Rock's only PSAC triumphs this season.
The Rock knocked off Clarion (3-20 overall, 0-12 PSAC) with back-to-back shutout wins.
In game one, SRU won a pitchers duel, 3-0, behind senior Stacey Rhoades' (7-3) complete game three-hitter. Offensively, the Rock was led by senior Meghan McHenry who went 1-for-1 with two RBIs.
On Monday, McHenry was named PSAC-Western Division Player of the Week.
Also helping the Rock to victory were freshman Jordan Zeunges, who went 2-for-4, and sophomore Courtney Vincent, who also went 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Game two proved to be a polar opposite of the first game, as the Rock used 11 hits en route to a 9-0 mercy-rule win.
The scoring outburst was led by freshman Jessica Ellebruch, who went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs.
The Rock came out swinging in the bottom half of the first inning, scoring three runs on five hits.
Rhoades got the scoring started with an RBI single that plated Vincent.
McHenry slammed a two-run homer one batter later to make the score 3-0.
The Rock would push the lead to 5-0 after Zeunges' single and Rhoades' sacrifice fly in the second.
Freshman Nikki Collins plated a run in the third with an RBI single and Ellebruch rounded out the Rock scoring with a three-run bomb in the fourth.
Junior Lisa Getgen (8-5) got the win, allowing four hits while striking out two in four innings of work.
The Green & White saw its modest four-game winning streak come to an end after being swept by the visiting Vulcans of California by scores of 6-4 and 9-4 on Monday afternoon.
In game one, the Vulcans took an early 3-0 lead and never looked back.
The Rock cut the lead to two, 3-1, after a Rhoades RBI single in the third.
Cal answered right back, scoring twice in the top of the fourth to push the lead to 5-1 thanks to a bases-loaded walk and a two-out single.
The Rock would cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth after RBI singles by Getgen and Collins, but it was too little to late, as Cal sealed the win with an insurance run in the top of the seventh for the 6-4 victory.
Rhoades was credited with the loss after surrendering all six runs on 13 hits. She also stuck out three and walked two.
In game two, SRU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before Cal roared back with four runs in the top of the third.
Ellebruch brought the Rock right back with a two-run shot over the leftfield wall in the bottom half of the third to cut the lead to 4-3.
But again, Cal proved to be too strong, scoring three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to extend the lead to 9-4.
Rhoades hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to account for the Rock's final tally.
Getgen was tagged with the loss, giving up seven runs (four earned) on eight hits in five innings of work.
The Rock bounced back with a doubleheader sweep of Mercyhurst on Tuesday afternoon, an important victory in terms of regional standings.
"We got some regional points by beating Mercyhurst, and got a few more because we reached 20 wins," sophomore catcher Kim Weindel said. "But we need to get a couple more wins in conference if we want to help our cause."
SRU won game one by a score of 6-1 before taking game two by a score of 4-1.
Stacey Rhoades went the distance for the Rock in the first game, allowing one earned run on seven hits.
She was also dominant at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
McHenry showed why she was named player of the week as she added a pair of hits to go along with two RBIs.
Junior Lisa Saulter and freshmen Samantha Pfister and Nikki Collins each had an RBI in the Rock's game-one victory.
In game two, it was Getgen leading the way from the mound with a complete game six-hitter.
She allowed only one unearned run while striking out four and walking one in the victory.
Offensively the Rock was led by sophomores Sheree Horvath and Jessica Kortz, who went a combined 4-for-7 at the plate.
Horvath was 2-for-3 with an RBI while Kortz went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
Courtney Vincent got the Rock started with an RBI single in the fourth, giving SRU the 1-0 edge.
Rhoades had an RBI single in the fifth and Horvath hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth to seal the win.
The Rock returns to action with back-to-back-to-back series this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
All three series play an important role in the Rock's chances of earning a regional playoff berth, Weindel said.
"If we want to win against Lock Haven and Edinboro, we are going to need to continue to play strong defense," Weindel said. "Our pitchers aren't the strikeout type, which forces them to become ground ball pitchers. Our defense has improved because we have fielded the ball much better and we just need to continue to do that.
"Lock Haven is going to be a battle and with 'Boro, we know we can beat them, we just have to get to their pitcher because she is basically all they have."
Today, the Rock hosts PSAC West leader Lock Haven at 2:30 p.m. before seeing the Fighting Scots of Edinboro come to town for a 1 p.m. Saturday showdown.
Non-conference for Wheeling Jesuit pays a visit to SRU at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
"We know we can do it. We just need to continue to play solid defense and sting a few hits together," Weindel said.
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