Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
SALEM, W. Va. – The Slippery Rock University softball team continued to make history with a doubleheader sweep of Salem International Monday in Salem, W. Va. The Rock downed SIU 9-0 and 11-1 to extend its school-record winning streak to 13 games and improve its overall record to 16-2.
The 16-2 mark ties the 1979 and 1980 Rock teams for the best 18-game record to begin a season in SRU history. The 1980 squad went on to a 20-2 start before finishing the year with a record of 23-5. Slippery Rock is also positioning itself to make a run at the school-record of 26 wins in a season. The record is currently shared by the 2007 (26-22) and 2008 (26-22) squads. To break the record, The Green and White would need to win 11 of its remaining 20 games.
Slippery Rock once again combined a balanced attack on offense with exceptional pitching to come away with its two victories over Salem International (3-20).
At the plate, SRU was led by sophomore's Jenna Geibel and Katie Saluga, Geibel went 5-for-6 on the day with four RBIs while Saluga, the reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division Hitter of the Week, smashed two home runs and drove in four runs. Saluga recorded a hit in both games to keep her hitting streak alive at 15 games and has now hit four home runs in her last five game.
In the circle, senior Shauna Walker (6-2) and junior Shaylee Ianno (10-0), who earned her third straight PSAC-West Pitcher of the Week award Monday, recorded the two wins for SRU. Walker gave up just two hits in five innings in game one and combined with freshman Emily Lobdell, who struck out three batters in two innings, for their first shutouts of the season. Ianno fanned eight SIU hitters in four innings for the victory in game two.
The Rock's 9-0 victory in game one was highlighted by a 3-for-3, two-RBI performance by Geibel and the first of two home runs on the day by Saluga. For the game, Saluga, sophomore Amanda Hedgepeth and junior Natalie Atkinson all drove in two runs as well while junior Kirsten Brant and freshman Gina Brenzo each added two hits respectively for the high-powered offense.
The Rock continued to crank home runs in their 11-1 five-inning win in game two as Saluga, freshman Breanna Tongel and junior Elizibeth Gorges, who drove in a team-best four runs, all went deep. Gorges' home run came in the first inning while Saluga's two-run home run and Tongel's three-run drive both came in the fourth inning. Senior Shardea Croes, Atkinson and Geibel all had two-hit games as well for The Rock.
SRU has now hit 14 home runs in the past seven games and is averaging 10.6 runs per game over the same time frame while the SRU pitching staff has allowed just 1.6 runs per game.
Slippery Rock will jump back into PSAC-West play 2:30 p.m. Wednesday with a doubleheader at California (Pa.). SRU will take a perfect 4-0 conference record into the game against The Vulcans, who were the preseason favorites to win the PSAC-West.