April 7, 2004

Box Score

Slippery Rock, Pa. - The Rock was victimized by "a big inning: for the third straight game Wednesday afternoon and dropped a 7-5 decision to visiting Shepherd College (12-13) in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader at Jack Critchfield Park.

SRU (20-14 overall) failed to bounce back in the second game and dropped a 7-1 decision to see its current losing streak extended to four games.

Shepherd scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning of Wednesday's first game to turn a 5-2 deficit into the final two-run advantage.

The Rock scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning on back-to-back singles by senior shortstop Nathan Statzer and senior center fielder Matt Kozusko, a sacrifice fly by senior third baseman Chase Rowe and a Shepherd error.

Shepherd cut the margin in half with a single run in the top of the third before The Rock scored twice in the fourth. Freshman second baseman Phil Butch's two-run triple to right center plated senior catcher Joe Pascarella and freshman left fielder Travis Trimbur, both of whom had received bases on balls.

Each team scored a run in the fifth frame to set up Shepherd's game-winning rally in the sixth.

Kozusko's solo home run to right field accounted for The Rock's final run.

Sophomore right-hander Adam Ritts pitched a comlete game for The Rock and was tagged with his second loss in four decisions this spring. Ritts allowed seven earned runs on nine hits, struck out two and walked three.