After Slippery Rock took game one of a PSAC West doubleheader, 4-1, over the Pitt-Johnstown softball team, Monday afternoon at Central Cambria High School, Mia Smith belted a grand slam to get the Mountain Cats to within a run in the nightcap, but the Rock was able to hold on for a 7-6 victory to complete the sweep.
 
In the opener, Alexsa Hurd's double to the gap in left-center scored Arielle Brown to give Slippery Rock a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.
 
Julianna Hutchinson's single drove in a run in the Rock's half of the fourth to make it 2-0, but the Mountain cats cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the sixth.  Jenna Tallman led off with a walk, worked her way to third, and scored on Maddie Flowers' two-out, line drive base hit to center.
 
However, Brown connected for a two-run homer to left in the top of the seventh to put Slippery Rock on top, 4-1, and Kelsi Anderson worked out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh to pick-up the complete-game victory.
 
Flowers had an RBI single, while Emilia Santiago, Kayla Miehl, and Ailah Charles also had hits for the Mountain Cats.
 
Tori Radvan took the loss and fell to 2-7 after allowing four runs on six hits over the first 6.1 innings.  Miehl got the final two outs in the top of the seventh for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
In game two, Hurd, Slippery Rock's starter in the circle, helped herself with a solo homer in the top of the first to get the Rock on the board, but Pitt-Johnstown answered with two in the bottom of the third.  The Mountain Cats put runners on second and third, and Tallman delivered a two-run, two out single up the middle that score Smith and Charles.
 
The Rock answered by hitting three home runs in a six-run top of the sixth to regain the lead, 7-2, but Smith's first career home run, a two-out grand slam to left-center, in the bottom of the frame got the Mountain Cats back to within one.
 
Pitt-Johnstown threatened with a runner on third in the bottom of the seventh, but Anderson, the game one winner, was able to get the final out to record her first save of the season and preserve Slippery Rock's, 7-6 win.
 
In addition to Smith's grand slam, Tallman had a hit and drove in a pair, and Miehl went 2-for-2 with a walk for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Smith started in the circle for the Mountain Cats and suffered the loss to fall to 5-6.  Smith surrendered four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings, while striking out five and walking two.  Miel pitched the last 1.2 hits and gave up three runs on two hits.
 
With the sweep, Slippery Rock improved to 14-14 overall and 5-5 in the PSAC West.
 
The Mountain Cats travel to PSAC West doubleheaders at Indiana (PA) on Friday and at Clarion on Saturday.  Pitt-Johnstown is scheduled to play its next home doubleheader on April 18 against Seton Hill starting at 2 p.m. ag V.E. Erickson Complex.