Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team had its 13-game winning streak snapped by California (Pa.) Sunday as SRU was swept by The Vulcans in a doubleheader, 6-3 and 5-1.

The losses drop The Rock's record to 16-4 overall and 4-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division. California (Pa.) improved to 19-7 overall and 4-0 in the PSAC-West and moved into first place in the division. Slippery Rock now trails California (Pa.) by two games in the PSAC-West standings.

Four Rock errors led to four unearned Vulcan runs in game one's 6-3 defeat. Senior Shauna Walker (6-3) took the loss for Slippery Rock despite allowing just two earned runs and six hits over six innings. Walker also struck out two California (Pa.) batters.

Freshmen Breanna Tongel and Gina Brenzo led The Rock's batters in the opening game. Tongel went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run, her third of the season, and two RBIs while Brenzo was 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run scored.

After California (Pa.) scored two runs in the first inning, Slippery Rock charged back with a three-run second inning. With two out, junior Natalie Atkinson doubled to center and Brenzo proceeded to hit a single that moved Atkinson to third base before causing havoc on the base paths. Brenzo managed to steal second and force a Vulcan throwing error which allowed her to advance to third base and Atkinson to score SRU's first run. Tongel then brought Brenzo home with her second home run in three games to give The Rock a 3-2 lead.

However, Cal. U went on to score one run in the bottom of the second inning and two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to give itself a commanding 6-3 advantage.

Slippery Rock's best chance for a comeback came in the top of the sixth inning when sophomore Jenna Geibel and senior Jordan Zeunges reached base with a single and double respectively to give SRU runners on second and third with no outs. After a groundout by sophomore Katie Saluga, who saw her 15-game hit streak come to an end Sunday, Atkinson drew a walk to load the bases with one out. But California (Pa.) was able to get out of the jam and record the final two outs of the inning to keep its three-run lead safe.

Tongel doubled to begin the seventh inning before Vulcan pitcher Maria Greco forced Slippery Rock into three consecutive groundouts to close out the game. Greco improved to 4-3 with the win. Sarah Spiering led California (Pa.) by driving in three runs and going 2-for-3.

SRU managed just five singles and did not score a run until the sixth inning in its 5-1 loss in game two. Junior Shaylee Ianno (10-1) suffered her first loss of the season, allowing three runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work.

Slippery Rock found itself hitless and in a 2-0 hole after three innings of play before senior Shardea Croes led off the fourth inning with a single to give SRU hope. Junior Kirsten Brant moved Cores over to third base and Geibel singled to left field to give Slippery Rock runners on first and third with one out. However, Kaitlyn Schilling (7-2) managed to escape the inning without yielding a run thanks to a groundout and strikeout.

The Vulcans added another run in the fifth inning to take a 3-0 lead into the sixth. The Rock scored its first run of the game in the top of the frame when Zeunges hit a single that scored Brant, who had reached base earlier in the inning off of a single, to cut the deficit to 3-1. That would be as close as SRU could get as California (Pa.) ended SRU's rally attempt and added two more insurance runs off of freshman reliever Emily Lobdell in the bottom half of the inning to cruise to the 5-1 win.

Slippery Rock will look to get back on track with a pair of wins at home against Mercyhurst Monday at 3 p.m.