Game 1 boxscore
Game 2 boxscore

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to record a 7-6 win in the first game of Saturday's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division doubleheader at Jack Critchfield Park but then fell by a 12-8 margin to Indian (Pa.) in Game 2.

The split was the second in as many days for the teams and left SRU with a 19-9 overall record, 7-5 in PSAC-West action, while IUP is 12-10, 5-7.

IUP won the first game of the weekend series by a 5-1 score before SRU took Game 2 of Friday's twinbill in Indiana by a 12-1 score.

Sophomore designated hitter Adam Jury led The Rock's winning effort in Game 1 of Saturday's twinbill as he had two hits and collected four RBIs. He also figured largely in the game-winning rally.

He slapped a single to right-center field to plate the first two Rock runs in the bottom of the seventh, moved around to third base on a double to left field by sophomore first baseman Derek Diruscia and then sprinted home to score on the winning run on a wild pitch.

Junior catcher Matt Adams got the decisive rally started with a single to left field and moved up one base on a single to center by senior right fielder Scott Bender. A sacrifice bunt by junior second baseman Billy Messer pushed the runners to second and third bases to set the table for Jury's two-run single.

The decisive rally was SRU's second three-run explosion of the game. Jury slapped his first two-run single of the game and Messer ripped an RBI double down the right field line in the bottom of the first inning to give the hosts a quick 3-0 lead.

IUP trimmed the margin to one, 3-2, with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth before Bender smacked a controversial solo home run just inside the left field foul pole in the bottom half of that frame to push the SRU lead to 4-2.

Bender's blast was originally ruled to be a foul ball, but was reversed after a conference with the base umpire. That reversal resulted in Crimson Hawks head coach Jeff Ditch getting ejected from the game for arguing the call too vehemently.

Undaunted by the lead and controversial call, the guests came right back to score three runs in the top of the sixth and added another tally in the top of the seventh to take a 6-4 lead and set up The Rock's decisive bottom-of-the-seventh rally.

Bender was a perfect 3-for-3 in the game for The Rock, while Diruscia and senior center fielder Rich Michalek joined Jury as Rock players with a pair of hits. 

Sophomore right-hander Mike Ritson, the third and final pitcher used by Rock head coach Jeff Messer, was awarded the win. He allowed one run on two hits, struck out one and walked one in his only inning of work to pick up his third win in four decisions this spring.

Rock starting pitcher George Hebert allowed two runs on four hits, struck out two and walked three in four and one-third innings before junior right-hander Justin Thomas yielded three earned runs on one hit, struck out one and walked three in one and one-third innings.

The Rock collected a total of 11 hits off two IUP pitchers in Game 1.

Adams was 4-for-4 with two doubles and a two-run home run to lead a 14-hit Rock attack in Game 2. Diruscia and Michalek each had a pair of hits and Messer collected two RBIs to complement Adams' effort.

But The Rock never led in the game as Indiana scored three runs in the top of the first inning and, after SRU responded with two runs in the bottom of the first, tacked on three more tallies in the top of the third for a 6-2 lead.

The Crimson Hawks answered a single Rock tally in the bottom of the third with two runs in the top of the fourth to take an 8-3 lead, then responded to a two-run Rock fifth with three runs in the top of the sixth to take an 11-5 lead.

Rock starting pitcher Vince Lloyd was tagged with the loss, his first in five decisions this spring, after he yielded six runs on seven hits, struck out two and walked two, in the first two and one-third innings.

The Rock returns to action Wednesday, when it travels to West Liberty State College in West Virginia for an NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional twinbill.