KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team recorded 13 hits, nine of which went for extra bases, in an impressive 11-7 victory against Wayne State University Sunday afternoon at Osceola Park Stadium in Kissimmee, Florida.
 
The Rock and Warriors were tied at 4-4 entering the eighth inning when SRU exploded for seven runs over the final two innings to ensure the win. Eight of The Rock's nine position players recorded hits Sunday, five of which had multi-hit outings.
 
The win improves The Rock's record to 5-2 on the year overall while Wayne State drops to 7-5 in 2018.
 
Tyler Walters made his only hit of the day a memorable one as the senior catcher sent a towering shot far over the left field wall with two runners on base for his second home run of the season. The home run was also the 38th of his career. He now needs just two home runs to tie, and three to pass, Nate Thimons' school record 40 career home runs.
 
Frankie Jezioro also had a two-run home run for The Rock. Kyle Wise went 2-for-4 with one run scored, a triple, a walk and an RBI. Christian Porterfield racked up two hits of his own, both of which were doubles, and a pair of RBI. Luca Fuscardo, Mitchell Wood and Abraham Mow all had two hits and one double apiece.
 
Rounding out The Rock's top offensive performers was Joe Campagna, who produced a critical RBI-triple that spurred on SRU's late offensive onslaught.
 
On the mound, starter Tanner Stanz provided SRU with 5.2 innings of solid pitching. Stanz scattered seven hits, three runs, only two of which were earned, and three walks throughout his appearance to go with six strikeouts.
 
Shawn Holman, Wyatt Daugherty (1-0) and Alex Worthington combined to throw the final 3.1 innings. Daugherty was especially effective with two strikeouts and no runs allowed over two innings of work to earn the win.
 
With the game tied at 1-1 midway through the top of the third inning, Walters gave Slippery Rock its first lead of the day with his towering three-RBI blast to left field. However, Wayne State managed to claw back into the game with runs in the sixth and seventh inning to tie the contest at 4-4.
 
WSU's one run in the seventh could have been much worse as The Warriors had runners on first and third with no outs when Daugherty entered the game in relief of Holman. The 2017 first team All-PSAC West reliever proceeded induce a double play, which brought in WSU's lone run of the frame, followed by a strikeout to get out of the inning. The rest of the game belonged to The Rock.
 
SRU plated two runs in the eighth inning to start the its late push. Portfield struck out to leadoff the inning, but took advantage of an Warriors wild pitch on the third strike by hustling down the line to beat the catchers' throw to first to reach base. He was promptly brought home by Campagna's bases-clearing triple. Campagna later scored when Mow slipped a single through the left side of the infield, giving SRU a 6-4 lead.
 
An RBI-triple by Wise, a two-run double by Porterfield and two-RBI homer by Jezioro then highlighted a five-run ninth inning to extend The Rock's lead to a comfortable 11-4 edge. Wayne State tacked on three runs in the ninth against Worthington, but never truly threatened SRU in The Rock's eventual four-run victory.
 
Relief pitcher Tyler Waldrop fell to 0-3 on the season in the loss for Wayne State. He allowed four runs over 2.2 innings.
 
Slippery Rock continues its time in the Sunshine State Classic 3 p.m. Monday against Mansfield University at Osceola Park Stadium.
 
 
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