Boxscore

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Slippery Rock University allowed a 5-1 lead to slip through its proverbial fingers Thursday afternoon and dropped a 7-5 decision to eighth-ranked Millersville University in an elimination game of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Baseball Championships at Point Stadium.

The loss dropped The Rock's season record to 27-19 and, in addition to extinguishing the Green and White's hopes for the conference championship, put in jeopardy their hopes for a berth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional tournament.

SRU, which was ranked fourth in the regional poll released last Wednesday, must now wait anxiously until Sunday night to see if it will be one of the six teams competing for the regional championship.

Millersville, which improved its season record to 38-9 with Thursday's win, was ranked first in the regional poll and is assured of an NCAA tournament berth. The Marauders may wind up hosting the regional tournament as well.

The Rock jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning Thursday thanks to a leadoff walk by junior right fielder Derek Carr, a single by junior left fielder Carter Haponski and a sacrifice fly by senior center fielder Matt Howard.

SRU extended its lead to 2-0 with an unearned run in the third before Millersville plated its first run in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 2-1 game.

The Rock extended its lead to 5-1 with three tallies in the top of the fifth, keyed by an RBI single by Howard, an RBI double by senior shortstop Adam Jury and a sacrifice fly by sophomore third baseman Jamison Walck.

That proved to be the extent of The Rock scoring effort, though, as Millersville relief pitchers blanked the Green and White over the final four frames.

Millersville trimmed The Rock lead to 5-2 with a run in the bottom of the fifth, then took advantage of the only Rock error of the game to score three runs in the seventh to tie the score at 5-5.

The Marauders continued their late run with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the eighth that proved to be the difference in the game.

Haponski was 3-for-5 to pace an eight-hit Rock attack, while freshman catcher Kevin Jovanovich was 2-for-3. Jovanovich and Jury had a double each to account for SRU's extra-base hits.

Freshman right-hander Lou Trivino pitched the first six and one-third innings and wound up with a no-decision after he allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out three, walking six and hitting one.

Freshman righty John Kovalik was tagged with the loss after he allowed two earned runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one and walked one during his brief stint on the mound.

Sophomore southpaw Joby Lapkowicz pitched the final inning, allowed one hit and struck out one.