SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The IUP softball team was on opposite ends of shutouts on Friday as the Crimson Hawks split a road doubleheader at Slippery Rock. The Crimson Hawks lost game one 1-0 and rallied for a game two 2-0 victory.

IUP finished the day with a 15-13 overall record and is now in a tie for second place in the PSAC West standings with a 7-3 divisional record. Slippery Rock is now 13-16-1 overall and 2-6 in the division. 

Game one
Nearly all of the action happened within the first three innings in Slippery Rock's 1-0 victory.

After a scoreless first, The Rock led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo homer off IUP starter Bella Bucy. IUP followed in the third with a lead off single and then stolen base by Paige Truax. Sara Tailford followed with her own single and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Following a strikeout and a ground out, Renee Wall forced a walk to load the bases, but the Hawks stranded three and SRU got out of the inning with another strikeout to end the threat.

The Hawks put a runner in every inning the rest of the way, including scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings, but couldn't muster enough offense to bring anyone across. 

Bucy threw into the fifth inning before Elizabeth Kasper entered in relief. Bucy gave up one earned run on five hits and four walks, striking out two in 4.1 innings. Kasper tossed the final 1.2 innings, striking out two without allowing a base runner.

Game two
The Hawks got on the board in the third inning when Wall hit a two-out single to left field, scoring Truax from second base. Jordan Sylvia followed with a double, but Wall was stopped at second and IUP picked up the final bat the next batter.

In the sixth, Sylvia got things started with a one-out single to right center. Jenna Rhue entered as a pinch hitter, and after a wild pitch put Sylvia at second, Rhue smashed a double to left center to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead.

In the circle, Kasper threw four innings of no-hit ball to keep The Rock off the scoreboard. The no-hit bid was broken up with two outs in the fifth with back-to-back singles, but IUP got out of the inning as SRU tried for extra bases with a perfect relay throw from Tailford in right to Allyssa Schmidt to Sylvia at third.

Kasper sat Slippery Rock down 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh innings for first complete game shutout of the season. 

Up next
The Crimson Hawks return home to host Cal U in a battle for the top spot in the PSAC West. First pitch at Podbielski Field is 1 p.m. on Saturday.

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