Click here to view Game 1 boxscore

Click here to view Game 2 boxscore

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Scott Bender smacked a pair of home runs to highlight a five-hit, five-RBI day and lead The Rock to a 9-4, 10-3 doubleheader sweep Saturday afternoon of visiting Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division rival Lock Haven at Jack Critchfield Park.

Bender hit a solo home run in the sixth inning of both games. His Game 1 blast capped off a 3-for-4, two-RBI game while his Game 2 shot -- his fourth roundtripper of the season -- wrapped up a 2-for-3, three-RBI effort.

Matt Adams smacked a solo home run two batters after Bender's Game 1 HR to help highlight a 23-hit day for the Green and White.

Saturday's sweep improved The Rock's overall record to 17-10 and its PSAC-West mark to 6-4, which is good for fourth place in the division standings.

Four-time defending PSAC-West champion California, with twinbill sweeps Friday and Saturday vs. Clarion, is in sole possession of first place with a 9-3 division record. The Vulcans hold a one-game lead over both Indiana (Pa.) and Shippensburg, both of which have 8-4 division records after they split their four-game weekend series.

SRU is currently one game behind IUP and Shippensburg and can move into a three-way with IUP and Shippensburg for second place with a sweep of Sunday's doubleheader at Lock Haven (1 p.m. start).

That would set up a pair of crucial PSAC-West series next weekend (April 18-19) as The Rock and IUP square off and California takes on Shippensburg.

Lock Haven will take a 12-24 overall record and 2-8 division mark in Sunday's twinbill vs. SRU.

Clarion (7-18 ovrall) is in the PSAC-West cellar with a 1-11 division mark.

The Rock trailed on only one brief occasion en route to Saturday's sweep. Lock Haven scored the first run in Game 2 before SRU scored six unanswered runs to assume control of the situation.

An infield single by Billy Herman in the bottom of the first inning gave The Rock a lead it would not relinquish in Game 1.

Rich Michalek made it 2-0 with a second-inning fielder's choice groundout before The Rock scored its third run on a successful first-and-third double steal later that inning.

A pair of solo home runs for Lock Haven trimmed The Rock lead to 3-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth, when SRU scored four times. Herman plated two of those runs with a triple to right center, while Bender slapped an RBI double and Matt Adams brought the fourth run home with a ground out.

Lock Haven cut the deficit to 7-3 with a run int the top of the fifth before Bender and Adams clobbered their solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth to conclude the scoring.

The Rock collected 13 hits in Game 1, led by Bender's three safeties and two hits each from Adams, Herman and Jim Eimiller. Herman had three RBIs, Adams and Bender two each and Michalek one.

Chris Squeglia was the beneficiary of the offensive attack and improved his season record to 4-2 with a four-hit, eight-strikeout complete-game pitching effort. He allowed three runs (two earned) and walked two batters.

After spotting Lock Haven a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning of Game 2, The Rock scored two runs in the bottom of the first, added a single run in the third and three tallies in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.

Lock Haven trimmed the gap to 6-3 with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, only to see SRU come right back with a run in the bottom of the fifth and three in the sixth to push the margin to 10-3. The Bald Eagles then scored a meaningless run in the top of the seventh to set the final margin.

Back-to-back RBI doubles by Herman and Adams plated The Rock's second-inning runs and gave the hosts a lead they would not relinquish.

Adams tripled to center field with one out in the third inning to make it 3-1 before Bender singled home two runs and Herman added a one-run single in the fourth to push the lead to 6-1.

The Rock manufactured its seventh run from a walk, a bunt single, a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch.

Bender's solo home run and an RBI single by Jacob Oswalt accounted for the three SRU runs int eh sixth.

The Rock had 10 hits in Game 2. Adams, Bender, Herman and Oswalt each had two hits in the game with Bender collecting three RBis and Adams, Herman and Oswalt each picking up two RBIs.

Rock starting pitcher Rich Hocanson (4-1) picked up the win after he allowed two earned runs on two hits, struck out four and walked five in the first four innings.

Colin McCoy allowed one earned run on one hit and walked one in two-thirds of an inning before Justin Thomas finished up the game. Thomas allowed one unearned run on three hits, struck out four and walked two in the final two and one-third innings.

The Rock, after visiting Lock Haven Sunday (weather permitting), will host West Liberty State (W. Va.) in a 1 p.m. non-conference doubleheader Tuesday and then turn its sights to next weekend's series vs. IUP.