March 11, 2005

Box Score

Fort Myers, Fla. - The Rock's season-opening eight-game win streak came to an abrupt end Friday night as West Chester handed the 13th-ranked Rock a 10-1 loss at Terry Park in a battle of NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional contenders.

The Rock will now take an 8-1 record into Saturday's 9 a.m. game against Merrimack. That will be the final game of The Rock's annual spring-break trip to Florida.

The Rock entered Friday night's game hitting .375 as a team, but West Chester pitcher Frank Gailey held the Green and White to only four hits.

Matt Kozusko had two of The Rock's four hits, including a triple in the second inning.

SRU had the leadoff hitter on base four of the last five innings, but promptly grounded into a rally-ending double play each of those four frames.

West Chester's first double play came in the top of the fifth inning (WCU leading 6-1) after Rock third baseman Todd Schickling had singled to center field.

Kozusko got his second hit, a single to center, with one out in the ninth inning (WCU leading 10-1) but was subsequently erased by the fourth double-play ground out.

Brad Wilson had The Rock's first hit, a bloop double to right field in the first inning. That pushed Billy Wolfe, who had walked to lead off the inning, to third base. Wolfe then scored The Rock's only run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Chris Tolliver to tie the score at 1-1.

Derek Blyzwick, the first of five pitchers used by Rock head coach Jeff Messer, was tagged with the loss and dropped to 1-1. He allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits, struck out five and walked three in 3 1/3 innings.

Troy Wilson pitched the next 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits, struck out four and walked one.

The Rock used three pitchers in the eighth inning. David Musher was hit on the forehead by a line drive off the bat of the only batter he faced. Mike DeCola faced two batters, walked one, hit one batter and was charged with one earned run. Dan Herisko faced three batters and allowed one hit in one official inning of work.