Game 1 boxscore
Game 2 boxscore

WILSON, N.C. -- The Slippery Rock University baseball team split its doubleheader against Tiffin Sunday, dropping the opener 5-4 in eight innings and winning the nightcap 7-2 at historic Fleming Stadium to close the season opening series with a 2-2 record.

Tiffin, which picked up a nine-inning win in the second game between the two teams Saturday, earned its second extra-inning win Sunday after plating a run in the eighth inning to win the mistake-filled opener 5-4.

Slippery Rock responded to score seven unanswered runs in the final four frames and won its second game of the series, 7-2 in the final game of the weekend.

Junior catcher/first baseman Derek DiRuscia led SRU at the plate in the second game, hitting his first home run of the season. Junior southpaw Zach Jeney picked up the win on the mound.

Senior second baseman and team captain Billy Messer led The Rock offensive attack in the four-game series as he was 9-for-15 (.600) with four runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs.

DiRuscia and sophomore left fielder Carter Haponski each batted .429 (6-for-14) during the weekend. DiRuscia had three runs scored and two doubles to go along with his home run, while Haponski had one double and one run scored and was one of three Rock players to collect three RBIs in the series.

Sophomore right fielder Matt Kosik and freshman third baseman Jamison Walck also collected three RBIs each. Kosik smacked The Rock's first home run of the season, a two-run shot in Saturday's second game.

Senior righthander Vince Lloyd was The Rock's Game 1 starter Sunday and struggled with control problems. He struck out seven batters but also walked two, hit two, threw one wild pitch and had a throwing error on an attempted pickoff. The miscues all figured into the first three runs scored by Tiffin.

Lloyd finished the game with three runs allowed, two of which were earned, and allowed two hits in five innings. Senior righthander Don Pugliese struck out two, walked two and allowed one unearned run on one hit in two innings before sophomore southpaw John Thomas gave up an unearned run on one hit in the final two-thirds of an inning and was tagged with the loss.

Only two of Tiffin's five Game 1 runs were of the "earned" variety as The Rock, after playing errorless ball for 15 innings Saturday,committed four errors. Tiffin had three mistakes, including two on the same play in the top of the seven inning that allowed The Rock to score two unearned runs, tie the score at 4-4 and ultimately send the game into extra innings.

All four Rock runs were unearned as a result of Tiffin errors.

Jeney struck out six, walked two, hit one and allowed one earned run on three hits in the first four innings to record his first win of the season. Sophomore southpaw Jason Steen struck out four, walked one, hit three batters and allowed one earned run on two hits in the final three frames to pick up the save.

The Rock is scheduled to travel to perennial Atlantic Regional power West Virginia State for a four-game series next weekend with two games set for both Saturday and Sunday.