KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team produced its most dominating performance of the season in a 25-1 victory against Mansfield University Monday afternoon at the Sunshine State Classic in Kissimmee, Florida.
The 25 runs were the most scored in a single-game by a team in the Division II Atlantic Region this season and the fourth most in Slippery Rock school history. The last time SRU scored more than 25 runs in a game was when it defeated Clarion University 27-10 on April 1, 2014.
The win increased Slippery Rock's winning streak to three games and improved its overall record on the year to 6-2. SRU was also ranked third in the Atlantic Region in the most recent regional poll released by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Monday.
Slippery Rock recorded 26 hits against Mansfield (3-4) for its fourth game with at least 20 hits in the last three seasons. All 14 players to record an at-bat for The Rock reached base Monday with 12 of the batters tallying at least one hit.
Joe Campagna and
Frankie Jezioro led the offensive onslaught with four hits apiece. Campagna had one home run, a grand slam, six RBI, three runs scored and one walk while Jezioro notched one home run, four RBI, a double and two runs scored.
Tyler Walters was a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs scored, one home run, a double and a walk. Walters, who has homers in back-to-back games, increased his season total to three and his career mark to 39, one away from tying Nate Thimons SRU career record of 40.
Matt Mandes collected three hits, four RBI, two runs scored and one triple.
Christian Porterfield also had a big day, going 3-for-4 with four runs, two RBI and a double.
At the top of The Rock's batting order,
Luca Fuscardo totaled two hits and two RBI while No. 2 hitter
Kyle Wise scored twice and belted one triple.
Reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Athlete of the Week
Abraham Mow was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, one RBI and one double.
Mitchell Wood,
Ray Scala,
Michael Collins and
Tyler Merigliano all had hits as well, with Wood's hit coming by way of a double.
Lost in The Rock's offensive outburst was a great day on the mound by pitchers
Matt Gordon (1-0) and
Derek Boben.
Gordon stymied the Mansfield bats for seven strong innings as he gave up just five hits and one unearned run while striking out seven batters and not walking a single hitter. Boben came on in relief of Gordon in the eighth and proceeded to throw two scoreless innings that included three strikeouts.
SRU put the game away early with six runs in the opening inning. The quartet of Campagna, Jezioro, Mow and Mandes recorded consecutive hits to account for all six runs. From there, Slippery Rock went on to plate one run in the second inning, two in the third, two in the fourth, six in the fifth, four in sixth and four more in the eighth to close out the victory.
Slippery Rock will look to extend its winning streak to four games 11 a.m. Tuesday against Northwood University at Osceola Park – Field Two in Kissimmee, Florida.
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