April 15, 2005

Slippery Rock, Pa. - Shippensburg pitchers Lee McClintock and Frank D'Agostino combined to hold The Rock to only six hits Friday to pave the way to the Red Raiders' 6-1, 6-0 doubleheader sweep in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division action at Jack Critchfield Park.

All was not lost, though, as The Rock learned, along with several other teams, that the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee had reversed an earlier decision about seven-inning single games not being counted as "official" games. (See links below)

The reversal reinstated The Rock's 5-1 win over Bloomsburg recorded March 6 in Fort Myers, Fla.

The on- and off-the-field decisions on Friday gives The Rock a 24-10 overall record and a 5-5 mark in PSAC-West action.

SRU and Shippensburg (21-19, 5-5) are now tied for third place in the six-team division as they prepare to close out their four-game season series Saturday in Shippensburg.

Please note: Saturday's games will be broadcast on the Internet, thanks to the efforts of Shippensburg University officials to make sure a broadcast line is available.

Friday, The Rock managed to get four hits off McClintock in the first game before D'Agostino tossed a two-hit shutout in the second game.

First game

McClintock retired The Rock in order in the first three innings before Phil Butch lined a single to left field to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Rock got its final three hits of the game after two outs had been recorded in the sixth inning and used those safeties to score its only run of the day.

Matt Kozusko lined a single to left-center and Chase Rowe doubled down the left-field line before Brad Wilson lined an RBI single up the middle.

Rocky D'Angelo pitched his sixth complete game in seven starts this spring for The Rock, but allowed 14 hits and four earned runs and was handed his first loss of the season (5-1 record). He struck out four and did not issue a walk.

Shippensburg scored one run in the second inning, two runs in each of the third and fourth frames and its final tally in the fifth.

Second game

J.D. Lowry singled to center field with one out in the bottom of the third inning to ruin D'Agostino's no-hit bid.

Rowe's leadoff single down the left-field line in the fourth inning accounted for the only other Rock hit.

Rock starting pitcher Colin Scott allowed five earned runs on 11 hits, struck out four and walked one in the first six innings and was tagged with his first loss of the season (5-1 record).

Jeremy Becker allowed one earned run on two hits and walked one in the final inning.

Game time change: Game time change: The starting time of Wednesday's non-conference doubleheader between The Rock and Mercyhurst at Jack Critchfield Park has been moved to 4 p.m. The games were originally scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

PSAC-West race: California (24-10, 9-1) leads the PSAC-West by two games over Clarion (19-14-1, 7-3), with The Rock and Shippensburg four games off the pace at the midway mark of the conference season. Lock Haven (8-14, 3-7) is alone in fifth place, with Indiana (8-14, 1-9) in sixth place.

Link to April 15 NCAA press release announcing reversal of earlier decision

Link to April 11 PSAC press release announcing NCAA's original decision

Link to April 7 SRU press release announcing Bloomsburg game would not count as an official game