Game 1 boxscore
Game 2 boxscore
Postgame video interview
Photo gallery

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University swept a baseball doubleheader from visiting Gannon University by 19-1 and 5-2 scores Sunday and re-assumed the top spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division standings.

The Rock's sweep of the Golden Knights, coupled with an Indiana (Pa.) sweep of Mercyhurst, gave SRU (19-11 overall, 8-4 PSAC-W) a one and one-half game lead over Mercyhurst (21-9, 7-6 PSAC-W) in the division standings.

The Rock's next scheduled game is Friday, when they will play a 1 p.m. twinbill at Indiana (Pa.).

Senior shortstop Adam Jury had four hits in six at bats, including a first-game double, collected seven RBIs and scored three runs to lead The Rock's offensive attack.

Junior right fielder Derek Carr and junior second baseman Lee Foxton each added three hits as part of The Rock's 24-hit day. Foxton also picked up three RBIs in the twinbill.

Sophomore left-hander Joby Lapkowicz picked up the Game 1 win and improved his season record to 4-2 with a four-hit pitching effort. Last week's PSAC-West Pitcher of the Week, Lapkowicz matched his career-high total with nine strikeouts Sunday, walked two and allowed one earned run on four hits in six innings of mound action.

Freshman right-hander John Kovalik retired all three batters he faced in the top of the seventh inning to close out the first-game win. He struck out two during his brief stint.

Senior righty George Hebert evened his season record at 3-3 with a five and one-third inning starting effort in the second game. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter before giving way to freshman closer Ryan Oglesby.

Oglesby came in the game and promptly slammed the door on a Gannon comeback effort in the sixth inning and then retired three of the four batters to face him in the top of the seventh to pick up his fourth save of the season. He struck out two and allowed one hit in the final one and two-thirds innings.

The Rock scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning of the opening game to put a quick end to any suspense as the outcome. They added eight runs in the fourth to push their lead to 13-0 and tacked on five more to make it an 18-0 game before Gannon got its only run in the top of the sixth. SRU answered that run with a tally of its own in the bottom of the sixth to set the final score.

SRU broke a scoreless tie with a run in the bottom of the third inning in the second game and came right ack with three more runs in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Gannon trimmed the margin in half with two tallies in the top of the sixth before Oglesby snuffed out the comeback. The Rock added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth for the final margin.

Jury smacked a bases-loaded triple to right-center field to highlight The Rock's five-run first-inning outburst in the first game. Senior catcher-first baseman Derek DiRuscia picked up the game's first RBI with a bases-loaded walk prior to Jury's three-bagger. Freshman catcher Kevin Jovanovich pushed Jury across the plate with an RBI double down the left field line.

The Rock added six more runs on bases-loaded walks as part of their fourth-inning explosion in the opening game. Senior designated hitter Mitchell Monas smacked a one-out triple to right field and scored the first run that inning on a wild pitch. The other Rock tally that inning scored on an infield single by sophomore third baseman Jamison Walck.

Jury's RBI double plated SRU's first run in the fifth inning. Freshman infielder Graeme Zaparzynski brought two runs home with a double and junior catcher Tyler Jewett clobbered a two-run home run to conclude that inning's fireworks.

The final Rock run scored on a Jury single up the middle after freshman first baseman Kevin Welsh had smacked a leadoff double to right center.

Jury plated SRU's first run in the second game with a one-out sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning.

Foxton singled home two runs and Howard added an RBI basehit to account for the fifth-inning tallies.

The Rock manufactured its final run from a leadoff walk to junior designated hitter Matt Kosik, a single by senior left fielder Carter Haponski, a walk to Carr and a ground out by Foxton.

Notes:

With 24 hits Sunday, The Rock raised their team batting average 11 points to .273, which represents a 39-point improvement from the Green and White's average at the start of the PSAC-West schedule ... Rock pitchers have lowered the team ERA by 0.68 points since the start of the division schedule ... Howard leads The Rock in batting average (.390), triples (4), home runs (4) and RBIs (28). He is second in doubles (4) and stolen bases (9 of 11) ... The Rock's leadoff hitter, Carr leads the team in stolen bases with 10 in 11 tries, is second in hitting at .326 and has collected 15 RBIs (#3 on team) ... Jury is second in RBIs with 26; DiRuscia, Foxton and Haponski are tied for fourth with 11 each.