Game 2 boxscore

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – One day after recording its most productive game of the season, the Slippery Rock University baseball team was handed its most lopsided loss in 30 seasons.

Visiting Gannon University spanked SRU by a 20-0 score in the second game of Sunday's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division doubleheader at Jack Critchfield Park to secure a split in the day's action.

The Rock took advantage of Gannon wildness to score four runs in the bottom of the first inning of Sunday's first game en route to a 7-5 win.

The 20-run margin in Game 2 was the largest in a Rock loss since 1982, when SRU was clobbered by West Georgia, 28-8, in a second-round game of the NCAA Division South Atlantic Regional tournament.

Sunday's split was The Rock's fifth in their last five doubleheaders and gave them an 8-12-1 overall record and a 2-2 mark in PSAC-West action.

Gannon ended the day Sunday with a 10-10 overall record and a 2-2 division mark.

SRU pounded out 15 hits and scored 12 runs, both season-high marks, in their Game 2 win Saturday at Gannon but collected only 12 hits in Sunday's doubleheader.

Gannon, on the other hand, collected 24 hits Sunday, including 17 in the Game 2 rout.

The only Rock batter to enjoy any kind of success Sunday was junior catcher/designated Ben Bechtol (pictured), who had three of SRU's seven hits in Game 1 and was one of five players who had a single in Game 2.

Junior second baseman Matt Curtis, senior third baseman Lee Foxton and junior shortstop Will Kengor each had a double in Game 1 to round out the offensive highlights.

All three of the doubles figured largely in the outcome of Game 1.

Bechtol had the only hit in SRU's four-run uprising in the first inning of Game 1 as the hosts took advantage of four bases on balls and two Gannon errors to take a lead they would not relinquish.

After Gannon got one run back in the top of the third, Kengor and Curtis each smacked a double and senior center fielder and captain Carter Haponski added a sacrifice fly to plate two Rock runs and push the lead to 6-1 at the end of three innings.

Gannon scored two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to make it a 6-5 game before Foxton slapped a leadoff double, moved to third on a ground out and scored the final run of the game on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth.

Sophomore right-hander Lou Trivino pitched the first four and one-third innings to pick up the win. He allowed four runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits, struck out three batters and walked three en route to improving his season record to 3-2.

Fellow sophomore righty Ryan Oglesby allowed one unearned run on two hits, struck out one and walked two in the final two and two-thirds innings and picked up a save.

Six Rock pitchers combined to allow 19 earned runs in Sunday's second game, when Gannon took command early by scoring four runs (three earned) on three hits in the top of the first inning against Rock starting and losing pitcher Anthony Naso (0-2).

The Rock have little time to lick their wounds. Nationally-ranked Seton Hill (15-4) comes to town for a 3 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday.