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BUTLER, Pa. – Slippery Rock University's 2014 baseball season came to an end Thursday afternoon as The Rock dropped a 3-2, 11-inning decision to 23rd-ranked Millersville University in the opening round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament at Kelly Automotive Park.
 
The loss was the fifth consecutive sustained by The Rock and gave the Green and White a 25-20 final record for the season.
 
Millersville, which improved its season record to 35-13, plays Mercyhurst University Friday in a semifinal game of the tournament.
 
Seniors Kevin Jovanovich and Will Kengor had two hits each to lead a seven-hit Rock offensive attack.
 
Both of Jovanovich's hits went for extra bases, highlighted by a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning that tied the score at 2-2.
 
Jovanovich also slapped a one-out double in the fifth inning, when The Rock loaded the bases with one out but were unable to plate a run.
 
Kengor had SRU's first hit of the game, a leadoff single in the fourth inning, and added a second leadoff single in the sixth inning.  Kengor scored the first run of the game following his second hit as he moved to second base on a balk, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.
 
The resulting 1-0 Rock lead lasted less than a half inning, though, as Millersville scored two runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Marauders threatened to do further damage that inning but instead left the bases loaded.
 
Millersville manufactured the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning from a pair of singles, a sacrifice bunt, a base on balls and a game-ending, bases-loaded, one-out sacrifice fly by Zach Stone.
 
Rock senior right-handed John Kovalik, the third and final pitcher used by veteran head coach Jeff Messer, was tagged with the loss, his second in six decisions this spring.
 
Kovalik allowed one earned run on four hits, struck out two and walked two in the final three and two-thirds innings.
 
Junior right-hander Kyle Schneider was The Rock's starting pitcher and allowed two earned runs on eight hits while striking out four in the first five and one-third innings.
 
Redshirt junior right-hander Ryan Oglesby gave up one hit, struck out two and walked two in the middle one and two-thirds innings.
 
Thursday's game rang down the curtain on the collegiate careers of seven Rock seniors. Included in that group were Jovanovich, Kengor, Kovalik, outfielders Brandon Myers, Jake Weibley and Graeme Zaparzynski and pitcher Anthony Naso.