April 26, 2005

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

California, Pa. - The Rock recorded a split in Tuesday's doubleheader at California U. of Pa. to remain in the thick of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division playoff race.

SRU won the first game 4-3, then failed to make a 6-0 lead stand up and dropped an 8-6 decision in the nightcap.

The split gave The Rock a 28-12 overall record and tied for second place with a 9-7 mark in PSAC-West action.

California (28-15, 11-5) continues to lead the division by two games over The Rock, Clarion and Shippensburg, all of which have 9-7 league marks.

The top three teams in the division will advance to the PSAC playoffs May 9-11 at Shaner Park in Boalsburg (suburban State College).

The Rock meets fifth-place Lock Haven (6-10) in a four-game series Friday (in Lock Haven) and Saturday (at Jack Critchfield Park) to close out its 2005 regular-season schedule.

California and Clarion meet Thursday and Friday, while Shippensburg takes on last-place Indiana (4-12) on Friday and Saturday in the other four-game series involving PSAC-West teams this weekend.

J.D. Lowry had a pair of RBI singles and Chase Rowe was 3-for-4 to pace an 11-hit Rock attack in Tuesday's first game.

Matt Kozusko and Todd Schickling (two doubles) added two hits each, while Kozusko and Brad Wilson each picked up an RBI.

The Rock scored single runs in the second (Lowry RBI single) and third (Wilson RBI single) innings to take a 2-0 lead, only to see California respond with three runs in the bottom of the third.

SRU came right back to score two runs in the top of the fourth to regain the lead and, this time, did not relinquish the edge.

Lowry's second RBI single tied the score at 3-3 before Kozusko singled home the winning run.

Nick Armstrong pitched the final 3 1/3 innings in relief of Rock starting pitcher Colin Scott and improved his record to 4-3.

Armstrong entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning and promptly recorded a called-third-strike out to shut the door on California's comeback.

As fate would have it, though, Armstrong was unable to duplicate that effort in the second game. He was tagged with the loss in relief of starter Troy Wilson.

The Rock scored five runs on three hits, a pair of bases on balls and one California error in the top of the second inning of the nightcap and added a run in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead.

Schickling smacked a two-run double, Lowry had his third RBI single of the day and Butch and Kozusko picked up RBIs on ground outs to highlight SRU's second-inning rally.

Billy Wolfe's RBI double in the fourth inning plated The Rock's final run.

California cut the margin in half with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and then erupted for five runs in its final at bat in the sixth to complete the comeback.

Schickling had two hits to headline a six-hit Rock attack in the second game.