April 26, 2004

Box Score

Slippery Rock, Pa. - Senior shortstop Nathan Statzer, who transferred to The Rock from Westminster prior to the 2003 season, had three hits against his former teammates Monday night to lead SRU (30-21) to a 12-4 victory in a non-conference "backyard rivalry" game at Jack Critchfield Park.

Two of Statzer's hits were RBI doubles.

Junior second baseman Trent Berner was also 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs for The Rock, while senior right fielder Jason Curry picked up three RBIs and senior left fielder Ben Marzullo had a pair of RBIs.

Marzullo and junior first baseman Billy Wolfe had a double each.

Sophomore right-hander Adam Ritts was The Rock's starting and winning pitcher. Ritts (4-2) struck out 11, walked one and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven innings.

Freshman right-hander Josh Rape struck out three and allowed one unearned run on two hits in the final two innings.

The Rock made the most of a pair of bases on balls and had one hit batsman in the bottom of the first inning to take a quick 4-0 lead. The only hit in the inning was a two-run single by Curry.

Westminster (14-19) cut the margin in half with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning before The Rock got a run in the bottom of the third to take a 5-2 lead. Berner's single to center field plated the run.

The Rock answered a single Titan tally in the top of the fifth inning with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, again keyed by an RBI single to center by Berner. Berner then scored on Statzer's first double of the game.

The Rock expanded its lead to 10-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning when it scored three runs. Senior third baseman/catcher Chase Rowe singled, moved to second on a passed ball, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch for the first run of the inning. Marzullo's double to right field scored the second run and Marzullo trotted home on senior designated hitter Joe Pascarella's RBI single.

Curry's bases-loaded walk with two outs in the seventh pushed the SRU advantage to seven, 11-3, before Westminster scored its final run in the top of the eighth.

Statzer's second RBI of the game plated Berner, who had singled, with the game's final run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Rock is scheduled to conclude its 2004 season with a 7 p.m. single game Tuesday vs. neighboring Grove City, weather permitting.