BUFFALO TWP — In the top of the first inning, things were certainly looking good for the Slippery Rock HighSchool softball team.

The Rockets, with four freshmen and a sophomore in the starting lineup and no seniors on the roster, banged out two hits and scored two runs to take an early lead in their season opener.

But then reality — and good Freeport pitching — set in.

SlipperyRock managed just one more hit in the next six innings and the Yellowjackets took advantage of a big fourth inning to cruise to an 8-2 win on a blustery Friday afternoon.

"(Freeport) went to the playoffs last year," said SlipperyRock coach TomWamsley. "That's a pretty good team over there. We did show some signs of being young. We made some mistakes. But we still have set the bar high even though we have no seniors."

Slippery Rock's Amanda Shearer led off the game and the season with a sharp single and later scored on an RBI single by clean-up hitter Marissa Schmeider.

Pitcher Shanae White, who reached on a fielder's choice, came around and scored on a groundout by ErinFerguson.

But that was all the Rockets could muster against Freeport starter Kylie Hepler, who pitched four innings before leaving with a sore shoulder.

Freeport's BrittanyShowers relieved Hepler to start the fifth inning and pitched three scoreless and hitless innings, striking out three to earn the save.

Freeport is blessed with a deep stable of pitchers inHepler, Showers and Stephanie Leslie.

"I have a great pitching staff," said first-year Freeport coach Jim Rapp. "There's no doubt about that. I would have gone the whole way with Kylie if it would have worked out that way, but she had a little bit of a sore shoulder."

He also has a little bit of pop at the plate, as three of the Yellowjackets' five hits went for extra bases, including two triples.

Jess Rykaceski drove in two runs with a triple to give Freeport a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning. She drove in three runs in the game.

The Yellowjackets extended the lead in the fourth with two more unearned runs and added three unearned runs in the sixth inning against White.

The right-handed White pitched well for the Rockets, but she seemed to tire late.

"This is the first time she's pitched this year against another team," Wamsley said. "She still has to build her arm up. First game of the year, pitching in this kind of weather — it's tough on the arm."

For Rapp, the win was most welcome, not only because it was his first as a coach, but for a team that has had four new coaches in four seasons.

"For me, it was extremely important," Rapp said. "The kids have had it rough with four coaches in four years. Hopefully, I'll be here for a while for them."

SlipperyRock 200 000 0—2 3 5Freeport 010 040 3—8 5 1WP: Kylie Hepler (4 IP) 3 strikeouts, 0 walks. LP: Shanae White (6 IP) 4 strikeouts, 2 walks

Slippery Rock (0-1): Amanda Shearer 1B; Sam Volponi 1B; Marissa Schmeider 1B, RBI; Erin Ferguson RBI

Freeport (1-0): Stephanie Leslie 1B, 2B, RBI; Megan Doerfler 3B; Jess Rykaceski 3B, 3-RBI; Lauren Weres 1B

Wednesday: Freeport at Knoch

April 1: Fairview at SlipperyRock