Slippery Rock softball swept Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West rival Gannon University on Saturday at Kasnevich Field before taking another two-game win against Edinboro University the next day.
The weekend wins bring the team to a record of 20-10 overall and 14-2 inside the conference.
Game one
Gannon jumped out into an early 2-0 lead behind an unearned run and a home run.
After the Golden Knights’ 2-0 lead in the third inning, Slippery Rock starter Rachel Baker allowed only one more hit the rest of the game.
The Rock, not getting their first run until the fifth inning, then go on a six-unanswered-run spree the following inning.
Baker received run support in the same inning when Sydney Brown crossed home plate on a Gannon error as Jordyn Pelles laid down a bunt.
The White and Green’s offense came alive in the sixth inning beginning with a solo home run by Addie Deal to tie the game.
That sparked Maddie Cavenaugh to continue the scoring with a three RBI (runs batted in) double, giving The Rock a lead they would not relinquish.
Cavenaugh scored on a sacrifice fly by Aubrey Mansfield before a single from Alyssa Sheely drove in Pelles to finish Slippery Rock’s sixth inning scoring outburst.
Baker and The Rock defense stifled a bases-loaded rally by the Golden Knights in the seventh inning to secure a 7-2 win and Baker’s 10th win of the season.
Game two
Paige Gresgott surrendered only three hits in another seven-inning matchup to earn the win for The Rock’s 4-1 victory, clinching a series sweep against Gannon.
Cavenaugh picked up where she left off the game prior and lifted a solo home run in the first inning to give Slippery Rock an early lead.
The scoring continued next inning when Addie Warzala doubled to score Alyssa Massucci and push the lead to 2-0.
Gannon scored their only run of the contest in the third inning on a sacrifice fly.
The Rock added an insurance run in the fifth when a single from Paige Parker allows Jessica Goldhardt to score. Parker later scored on a sacrifice fly by Mansfield.
The 4-1 victory by Slippery Rock maintained their winning streak in the season, while also keeping a one-game lead over Indiana University of Pennsylvania for first place in the division. Gannon falls to 14-15 overall and 7-8 against PSAC West foes.
The team continued on Sunday for another doubleheader contest, this time traveling to go up against (PennWest) Edinboro University.
Cavenaugh continued her dominant freshman campaign with three home runs to push Slippery Rock softball past Edinboro for the team’s second series sweep of the weekend. The pair of wins extended the team’s winning streak to 10 games, the second-longest streak in program history behind a 13-game streak in 2011.
Game three
The Rock exploded for 11 runs to win the first game of Sunday’s away doubleheader 11-2 in five innings.
Cavenaugh hit a leadoff home run for the second game in a row. In the second inning, Aubrey Mansfield singled in Grace Smith. Jordyn Pelles and Mansfield later scored on a base hit by Alyssa Sheely.
Four-time PSAC athlete of the week, Maddie Cavenaugh, hit her second solo home run of the contest in the fourth inning.
Sheely doubled in the fourth inning to again score Mansfield and Pelles for her third and fourth RBIs of the game. Addie Deal then singled in Sheely to extend the team’s lead to 9-0.
Gabby Perod capped the scoring for the Green and White with a two-run single, driving in Deal and Sydney Lutz.
Edinboro scored a run in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Rachel Baker earned the win for Slippery Rock, pitching a complete game to improve to 11-3 on the season in an 11-2 victory over the Fighting Scots.
Game four
Slippery Rock softball completed the weekend sweep with a 9-6 victory in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader.
Kayla Williams pitched 4.2 innings in relief, allowing only one hit and an earned run to secure the win.
In the first inning, Jordyn Pelles doubled to score Cavenaugh and give The Rock a 1-0 lead.
Edinboro responded with an RBI double of its own in the bottom of the inning.
The visitors answered with three runs in the second inning, courtesy of RBIs from Cavenaugh, Pelles and Mansfield.
Addie Warzala singled in Alyssa Massucci in the third inning to extend the team’s lead to 5-1.
The Fighting Scots rattled off four runs of their own in the bottom of the third to tie the game at five.
Pelles put the PSAC West’s first-place team back in the lead with her third RBI of the contest coming in the fifth inning.
Edinboro tied the game again on a Slippery Rock error in the bottom of the fifth.
Cavenaugh put Slippery Rock ahead for good with her third solo home run of the series in the seventh inning.
Mansfield hit an RBI triple and then scored on a single by Sheely to extend the lead to 9-6.
Williams put the hosts away with three consecutive outs to end the game.
The 9-6 win by Slippery Rock moves the team to 20-10 overall and 14-2 inside the PSAC West. This places them two games ahead of Indiana University of Pennsylvania for first-place in the PSAC West.
Edinboro falls to 4-27 overall and 3-13 in the division.
The Rock will return to action Friday with a doubleheader at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown beginning at 2 p.m., followed by a pair of games Saturday at IUP.
