March 29, 2005

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Slippery Rock, Pa. - Dave Gonos, Matt Kozusko and Chase Rowe had three hits each Tuesday afternoon as the sixth-ranked Rock recorded a split in its doubleheader against regional rival Pitt-Johnstown at Jack Critchfield Park.

UP-J, behind the pitching of Justin Ronan, handed SRU a 3-0 setback in the first game to snap a seven-game Rock win streak.

SRU came from behind twice in the second game en route to a 4-3 win that snapped a nine-game UP-J win streak.

The split gives The Rock a 16-2 overall record this spring and an 11-2 record against regional rivals.

SRU is ranked sixth in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America national poll and seventh in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper national rankings.

The Rock is also ranked first in the NCBWA North Atlantic Regional poll.

Pitt-Johnstown, which is ranked sixth in this week's NCBWA regional poll, has a 13-5 record this spring.

SRU returns to action on Wednesday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader vs. regional rival Shepherd (W. Va.) at Jack Critchfield Park.

The Rock will then host open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division action with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Friday vs. Indiana U. of Pa. at Jack Critchfield Park.

SRU and IUP will meet again Saturday at 1 p.m. in Indiana.

Ronan scattered seven hits en route to his fifth win in as many decisions this spring and continually worked out of potential jams in shutting out The Rock in Tuesday's first game.

Nick Armstrong (2-1) yielded three earned runs on five hits, struck out five and walked two in four innings and was tagged with the loss.

Dan Herisko allowed one hit, struck out one and walked two in the final three innings.

Phil Butch had two of The Rock's hits, while Rowe slapped his team-high ninth double to highlight the hosts' offensive effort.

Rowe came within a few feet of smacking a game-winning, two-out, walkoff grand slam home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The left-handed hitting Rowe hooked a shot just wide of the right field foul pole and was subsequently retired on a hard-hit ground ball to end the contest.

Ironically, it was Rowe's solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning of the second game that accounted for the winning run. The blast was his second of the season.

Chris Tolliver got The Rock on the scoreboard with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. That was also Tolliver's second HR of the season.

Gonos, Kozusko and Rowe had two hits each in the second game. Gonos and Kozusko had a double each.

The Rock collected eight hits in the second game, four of which went for extra bases.

Troy Wilson allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits, struck out three and walked three in six innings en route to his second win in as many decisions this spring.

Herisko pitched the final inning to pick up his fourth save of the season.