New/Sortable Box Score 1 | New/Sortable Box Score 2
Traditional boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The top two ranked NCAA Division II Atlantic Region baseball teams split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference interdivisional doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Art Fairchild Field on the campus of Shippensburg University.

Slippery Rock University, ranked 18th in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association national poll, rode a three-hit, 11-strikeout, complete-game pitching performance by junior right-hander Lou Trivino (right picture) to a 9-0 victory in the opening game.

Shippensburg University, the No. 13 team in the NCBWA poll, rebounded behind a four-hit pitching effort by Tom Bush to record an 8-0 win in Game 2.

The Game 2 loss ended a season-opening eight-game win streak for SRU and gave Shippensburg an 8-2 record this spring.

The 8-1 start to the season is SRU's best since the 2005 team, which won 15 of its first 16 games, also had an 8-1 record after nine games.

The “rubber game” of the three-game weekend series is scheduled for noon Sunday at Fairfield Field.

SRU wasted no time taking command of Saturday's first game as the guests scored seven runs in the top of the first inning. Key ingredients in the explosion were two-run RBI singles by junior right fielder Brandon Myers, sophomore third baseman Jake Nogalo and junior center fielder Jake Weibley and a sacrifice fly by junior designated hitter Kevin Jovanovich.

A one-out sacrifice fly by senior first baseman John Shaffer in the top of the fourth extended The Rock's lead to 8-0 before Weibley's two-out RBI single in the fifth accounted for the final run.

Junior shortstop Will Kengor (left photo) was 3-for-4 to lead a 14-hit Rock offensive attack, while Weibley had two hits and picked up three RBIs, Nogalo had two hits and two RBIs and junior catcher Ryan LaRose and junior left fielder Graeme Zaparzynski (2 runs scored) each had two hits. Myers also collected two RBIs.

The offensive attack gave Trivino more than enough support to record his third complete-game shutout in as many starts this spring. Trivino, who did not issue a base on balls Saturday, has allowed four hits, struck out 25 batters and walked six batters in 21 innings pitched in 2013.

In Game 2, Bush limited The Rock to four hits in the first five innings before two Shippensburg relief pitchers held SRU hitless in the final two frames.

Jovanovich, Nogalo, Shaffer and Zaparzynski each had a single to comprise The Rock attack.

Junior right-hander Mike Dunn was tagged with the Game 2 loss for SRU after he allowed seven runs (six earned) in the first three innings. Dunn walked three and did not record a strikeout in suffering his first loss in two decisions this spring.

Freshman Jon Anderson allowed one earned run on one hit, struck out three and walked two in two innings before rookie Christian Kerns gave up one hit and walked two in the final inning.

Following Sunday's series finale at Shippensburg, The Rock turn their attention towards the annual spring-break trip to Florida. SRU opens its Sunshine State schedule with a doubleheader Friday vs. Wayne State of Michigan.