Click here to view boxscore
FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Mansfield scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday afternoon to hand The Rock a 10-6 loss in a battle of NCAA Division II North Atlantic Regional rivals at the Bob Gladwin Baseball Complex.
The loss was the second straight for SRU and drops the Green and White's overall record to 5-5 heading into the final three games of their spring-break trip to the Sunshine State.
SRU is now 4-2 vs. regional rivals and 3-5 on its spring trip.
Mansfield improved its season record to 8-4.
Sophomore outfielder Jacob Oswalt was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs and senior first baseman Scott Hugney was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs to lead an 11-hit Rock attack.
Senior catcher Jim Eimiller and senior center fielder #M.J. Parsons# were each 2-fior-4. Both of Parsons' hits were doubles.
Senior right-hander Chris Squeglia was tagged with the loss, his second in three decisions this spring, after he allowed seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits, struck out two and walked three in seven-plus innings.
Freshman southpaw Brett Vescovi relieved Squeglia three batters into the seventh inning and finished the game with three unearned runs allowed on three hits and one walk.
Mansfield jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as the first four batters to come to the plate recorded hits, including a pair of doubles.
SRU responded with a run in the top of the third inning as Hugney slapped a leadoff single, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on an error.
Mansfield answered that tally with a run of its own in the top of the second to take a 4-1 lead but then did not score again until the eighth inning.
The Rock, after having runners in scoring position with two outs in both the third and fifth frames, got its second run of the game in the sixth when freshman designated hitter Derek Diruscia slapped a leadoff single and Oswalt followed with an RBI double.
SRU then erupted for four runs in the seventh inning to take a 6-2 lead. A double by Hugney plated the first two runs before Oswalt singled home the final two.
Mansfield got three straight hits to open the bottom of the eighth and chase Squeglia from the mound, then benefitted from a two-out fielding error that opened the door to the final five runs of the game.
All told, three Rock errors resulted in five unanswered runs for Mansfield. The Mounties also committed three miscues, but those mistakes only led to one Rock run.
The Rock returns to action at 4 p.m. Friday, when it will take on Nyack College of New York in a twinbill at the Gladwin Complex.
The spring trip concludes Saturday with an 8:45 a.m. nine-inning single game vs. Mercy College.
