SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Shepherd University (4-4) swept Slippery Rock (2-5) in softball doubleheader action at Sara Cree Field on Monday. The Rams recorded a 4-3 win in game one and rallied for a 6-4 win in the nightcap.
Slippery Rock took a 1-0 lead in the first inning in game one as Arielle Brown and Alexsa Hurd both walked. Brown later scored on a single by Aubrey Mansfield and Hurd scored on an error.
Shepherd took a 3-2 lead in the third behind a two-run single by graduate student catcher Alex Mantz (Edinburg, Va./Central) and scored the go-ahead run when junior shortstop Lexi Clatterbuck (Front Royal, Va./Skyline) scored from third when sophomore pinch-runner Sydney Martin-Gonciarz (Frederick, Md./Thomas Johnson/Morgan State) purposely got caught in a rundown between first and second.
The Rams added a run in the fourth as junior outfielder Lauren Alt (Upper Tract, W.Va./Petersburg) singled and later scored on an error.
The Rock added a run in the fifth as Julia Nutter doubled and scored in a single by Brown.
Brown went 2-for-3 for Slippery Rock.
Senior pitcher Hannah Ruffner (Charles Town, W.Va./Washington) (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 K, 2 BB)(1-1) picked up the win. Freshman pitcher Madelayne Ruffner (Charles Town, W.Va./Washington) (2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K, 0 BB) gained her first career save. Kelsi Anderson (2.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 5 BB) (0-2) took the loss.
Slippery Rock plated four runs in the first with a two-run single by Emma Kennedy keying the rally.
Freshman first baseman Brenna Collis (Hedgesville, W.Va./Hedgesville) belted a three-run homer in the third to cut the deficit to one run.
Shepherd added three more runs in the sixth to gain the sweep. Senior second baseman Caitlin Donnelly (Newark, Del./Padua Academy) walked with the bases loaded to score Alt and Mantz followed with a two-run single.
Alt had a pair of hits for the Rams.
Kennedy had two hits for Slippery Rock.
Madelayne Ruffner (6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 10 K, 1 BB) (3-0) earned the win in relief. Mackenzie Borkovich (1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 3 BB) (1-2) took the loss.
The Rams return to action on March 11 when they face Bentley at 10 a.m. and Quincy at 2:45 p.m. at The Spring Games in Winter Haven, Fla.
