Game 1 boxscore
Game 2 boxscore

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Slippery Rock University scored 14 runs in the final 10 innings of Tuesday's baseball doubleheader vs. Minnesota-Duluth but was forced to settle for a split in action at Chain O'Lakes Park.

Minnesota-Duluth (3-6) took a 5-0 lead before SRU got its first run, or even its first hit, in the opening game and held off a late Rock rally to record a 5-4 win.

SRU then took a 4-0 lead in Game 2, weathered a two-run Minnesota-Duluth rally and scored the final six runs of the game to chalk up a 10-2 victory in Game 2.

The split gave The Rock a 6-8-1 record as they prepared for Wednesday's 10 a.m. nine-inning single game vs. NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional rival West Chester at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla.

SRU closes out its spring-break schedule with a 10 a.m. single game Thursday vs. Winona State (Minn.), last year's Division II national runner-up.

Minnesota-Duluth starting pitcher Jordan Smith held The Rock without a hit or run for the first four frames before, with the Bulldogs leading by a 5-0 score, Rock senior left fielder and captain Carter Haponski led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double.

Haponski scored the first Rock run two batters later on sophomore designated hitter Kevin Jovanovich's RBI single.

A Minnesota-Duluth error and a walk to Rock senior centerfielder Derek Carr subsequently loaded the bases with two outs before junior catcher Ben Bechtol smacked a two-run single to center to trim the Bulldogs' lead to 5-3.

A leadoff double by junior first baseman John Shaffer to lead off the Rock sixth chased Smith. Shaffer eventually scored on a fielder's choice ground out by freshman right fielder Austin Benshadle to trim the margin to one run, but that proved to be the extent of The Rock's comeback in Game 1.

Rock pitching ace Lou Trivino, a sophomore right-hander and all-region selection in 2011 who entered the game with an 0.87 ERA this spring, was roughed up for five runs (four earned) on six hits in the first four innings Trivino struck out two and walked in the process of being tagged with the loss, which dropped his season record to 2-2.

Freshman right-hander Kyle Schneider relieved Trivino and slammed the door on Minnesota-Duluth. Schneider allowed the Bulldogs only one hit in the final three frames. He struck out one and walked three.

The Rock rode a gutsy pitching effort by starter and winner Anton Constantino to victory in Game 2.

Constantino, who made his first collegiate start Tuesday, threw five innings of shutout ball before Minnesota-Duluth got two runs in the bottom the sixth to end his mound stint. The freshman southpaw finished the day with two earned runs allowed on four hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

Sophomore right-hander Anthony Naso held Minnesota-Duluth to only one hit and struck out three batters in the final two-plus innings. He entered the game with the bases loaded and no out in the bottom of the sixth and SRU holding a 4-1 lead and quickly induced a double play and a ground out to shut the door on the Bulldogs' rally.

SRU's offense then erupted for six runs on seven hits in the top of the seventh to blow the game wide open. Key hits in the rally were a pinch-hit RBI single by sophomore infielder Graeme Zaparzynski, an RBI single by Haponski, a two-run single by freshman shortstop Jacob Nogalo and an infield RBI single by Bechtol.

Junior right fielder Brandon Myers led off the top of the second inning with a double and scored on Haponski's first RBI single of the game. Haponski subsequently scored on an RBI single by junior second baseman Matt Curtis to give SRU a 2-0 lead.

A one-out triple by Shaffer and a two-out double by Myers pushed the lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning.

The Rock manufactured their fourth run in the top of the fifth from a leadoff walk to Bechtol, a stolen base, a Minnesota-Duluth error and the second of Haponski's three RBI singles.

Haponski was a perfect 4-for-4 in the game with three RBIs and two runs scored. Bechtol, Curtis, Myers and Shaffer each had two hits as part of The Rock's 15-hit attack.

The hit total was SRU's highest of the season, while the Game 2 run total was the second highest, behind only an 11-run outburst Feb. 26 at Shippensburg.

With 20 hits in Tuesday's doubleheader, The Rock improved its team batting average 10 points to .251.

Following back-to-back games in Auburndale Wednesday and Thursday, The Rock heads home to prepare for the start of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division schedule. SRU travels to Erie to take on Gannon University in a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday before opening its home schedule with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Sunday vs. the Golden Knights at Jack Critchfield Park.