Game 2 boxscore

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team climbed above the .500 mark for the first time since the opening weekend of the season Saturday by virtue of its 4-2, 7-3 doubleheader sweep of visiting Fairmont State University in non-conference action at Jack Critchfield Park.

The wins, which pushed the Green and White's season record to 18-17-1, also extended The Rock's current win streak to eight games, their longest since they won eight straight games from April 1-9, 2006.

The Rock put their win streak on the line next weekend when they take on defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship Mercyhurst in a four-game series. The first two games of the series are scheduled for Friday at Critchfield Park (1 p.m. first pitch).

The Rock scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to erase an early 2-0 Fairmont State lead in Game 1 Saturday, then added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth.

The first Rock run scored on a Fairmont State error, the second on a fielder's choice ground out by junior utility player Ben Bechtol and the third on a sacrifice fly by junior first baseman John Shaffer.

Sophomore shortstop Will Kengor slapped a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth and scored the game's final run on an RBI single by sophomore outfielder Brandon Myers.

Kengor was 2-for-4 in the game and accounted for half The Rock hits.

Sophomore right-hander Lou Trivino was SRU's Game 1 starting and winning pitcher. He improved his season record to 6-2 by striking out nine, walking three and allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in the first six innings.

Fellow sophomore righty John Kovalik pitched the final inning to pick up his third save of the season. Kovalik gave up one hit and walked one in his brief mound stint.

Kengor also led The Rock's Game 2 offensive attack as he slapped a bases-loaded triple into the right-center field gap in the bottom of the second inning, when The Rock scored four runs to take a 6-1 lead.

Kengor finished the game with three hits in seven at bats, one double, one triple and three RBIs.

Junior third baseman Jamison Walck had a first-inning sacrifice fly and an RBI double in the second inning to finish Game 2 with two RBIs.

Shaffer, who had two of The Rock's six hits in the game, brought home the first SRU Game 2 run with an infield RBI single in the first inning, when The Rock scored two runs to erase a 1-0 Fairmont State lead.

Freshman right-hander Kyle Schneider was SRU's Game 2 starting and winning pitcher. He struck out three, did not issue a base on balls and allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in the first five frames to even his season record at 1-1.

Junior southpaw Joby Lapkowicz struck out four and walked two in the final two innings to pick up his first save of the season.

Notes:

The Rock trailed in all four games vs. Fairmont State before coming back to record the win … With the four-game sweep of Fairmont State, The Rock improved its record this spring vs. West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams to 9-4 … Junior second baseman Matt Curtis was hit by a pitch five times during the weekend series vs. Fairmont State and has now been plunked 13 times this season. The school record is held by Joe Neidrick, who got beaned 16 times in 2003 … The Rock turned one double play Saturday and three DPs in the weekend series to improve its season total to 28. That is the highest single-season total since the 2009 team had 29. The school record is 53 in 1998 … The four wins last weekend gave SRU a 9-4 record in games played this spring at Critchfield Park and a 117-58 (.669) record in the nine-year history of the on-field facility.