BELMONT, N.C. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team began its 2016 season with a doubleheader split at Belmont Abbey College Saturday. SRU dropped game one, 7-6, in extra innings before rebounding to take game two, 2-1.
Ty Zimmerman went a combined 4-for-8 at the plate with one double to help SRU to the split.
Tyler Walters drove in a pair runs over the two games while also scoring twice and collecting three hits, one of which was a double.
The duo of
Preston Falascino and
Alex Bell, who had SRU's third double of the day, also had three-hit outings with Falascino driving in one run and scoring another.
GAME ONE: Belmont Abbey 7– Slippery Rock 6Slippery Rock scored the first five runs of the opener with two runs in the first inning, thanks to RBI-singles by Walters and
Carson Kessler, and three more in the third inning by way of run-scoring hits from Kessler and
Kyle Wise.
Belmont Abbey climbed back into the game in the bottom of the third thanks in part to a three-run home run by Nick Nunziato off of Rock starter
Alex Pantuso.
Slippery Rock would get one run back the following frame.
Frankie Jezioro, who walked and advanced to third on a single earlier in the inning, scored via a wild pitch to extend The Rock's lead to 6-4.
However, Belmont Abbey rallied to tie the game with two runs in the sixth followed by a walk-off RBI-single in the eighth inning from Weston Clarke for the 7-6 Crusauder victory.
Pantuso gave up four runs on four hits and four walks while striking out four batters in four innings pitched.
Matt Gordon surrendered two runs over 1.1 innings and
James Divosevic (0-1) took the loss after allowing the game's final run. On the day, Divosevic struck out four batters in 2.1 innings.
Zimmerman went 3-for-5 and Bell was 3-for-4 in the opener. Falascino added two hits as well while Walters, Jezioro, Wise and Kessler all produced base hits as well with Kessler also driving in a team-high two runs.
GAME TWO: Slippery Rock 2 – Belmont Abbey 1Jon Anderson (1-0) was dominant in the nightcap. He gave up just one unearned run on one hit and one walk while striking out six over six innings to pick up the victory. Anderson was perfect through 4.2 innings before a Nick Beinlich single broke up the no hitter.
Wyatt Daugherty was impressive in his collegiate debut. He came on for Anderson in the seventh and gave up one hit before retiring three straight batters to earn the save and ensure the SRU win.
SRU broke the 0-0 tie in the fourth inning. With one out Walters hit a double. Bell proceeded to advance Walters to third on a fielders choice, which led to a Falascino RBI-single that gave The Rock a 1-0 lead.
Slippery Rock maintained its advantage until the sixth when Colin Rosenbaum, who walked to leadoff the inning, scored on a Rock fielding error to briefly tie the game. SRU bounced back for the go-ahead run in the seventh when Jezioro singled with one out, stole second and finally scored off of a Walters-single to put The Rock back on top 2-1.
Making his first appearance in a Rock uniform, Daugherty gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh, but made sure there wouldn't be another comeback by tallying two groundouts and a fly ball out to centerfield to end the day.
Walters and Divosevic both produced two hits in game two.
Jordan Faretta, Jezioro, Zimmerman and Falascino accounted for The Rock's other four hits.
Slippery Rock concludes the weekend Sunday with a doubleheader at Wingate University. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.
