March 7, 2005

Box Score

Fort Myers, Fla. - Matt Kozusko's sacrifice fly to right field plated the winning run in the top of the 10th inning Monday night as The Rock held off a valiant West Chester comeback effort to record an 11-10 win at Terry Park.

The win was The Rock's sixth in as many games this spring and fourth against NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional rivals.

The Rock is idle on Tuesday before taking on Findlay in a 9 a.m. doubleheader Wednesday at Terry Park.

Phil Butch paced a 13-hit Rock attack Monday night with three hits, including a double, and three RBIs.

Billy Wolfe added two hits, including a double, and also picked up three RBIs. Dave Gonos had two hits, Brad Wilson plated a pair of runs with a triple, Todd Schickling picked up one RBI and Chris Tolliver had a double.

Jeremy Becker, the third and final pitcher used by Rock head coach Jeff Messer, picked up the win. He struck out three, walked two and allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Becker entered the game with the score tied and the potential winning run standing on third base with only one out in the bottom of the ninth. He promptly recorded a pair of strikeouts to send the game into extra innings.

Becker worked out of another jam in the bottom of the 10th inning as West Chester loaded the bases with two outs. He ended the suspense when he induced a game-ending ground out.

John Katich was The Rock's starting pitcher and allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, struck out three and walked three in five innings.

Dan Herisko pitched 3 1/3 innings and also allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits, struck out two and walked two.

The Rock jumped out to a 9-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings before West Chester began its comeback.

SRU scored five runs in the top of the first inning on five hits and added two runs in each of the second and third frames before West Chester cut the margin to 9-3 with three tallies in the bottom of the third.

The Rock added a run in the top of the fifth to make the score 10-3, only to see West Chester score two runs in the bottom of the fifth to trim the difference to 10-5.

West Chester then scored five times in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

Wilson's two-run triple to center field and RBI hits by Wolfe, Tolliver (double) and Schickling highlighted The Rock's first-inning outburst.

Wolfe's two-run double plated for SRU's second-inning runs, while a two-run double by Butch plated the third-inning tallies.

Butch had an RBI single in the fifth.

J.D. Lowry singled to start The Rock's decisive 10th-inning rally, then advanced all the way to third on a West Chester fielding error before scoring on Kozusko's sacrifice fly.