KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team lost to Mansfield University, 7-6, Thursday afternoon at the Sunshine State Classic in Kissimmee, Florida.
 
Slippery Rock (6-5) led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Mounties (4-6) scored five unanswered runs over the final one and a half innings to pull off the comeback victory.
 
Trailing 1-0 entering the third inning, Slippery Rock jumped out to its first lead of the game after three consecutive doubles off the bats of Abraham Mow, Tyler Merigliano and Mitchell Wood. SRU made it a 3-1 lead later in the inning when Luca Fuscardo laced a run-scoring single that plated Wood.
 
Mansfield appeared poised to shave a run off The Rock's lead in the bottom of the inning when Camren Ney hit a ball to right field with a runner on second and two outs, but Frankie Jezioro fired a throw home to Tyler Walters, who was able to tag a diving JP Bonanca at home plate.
 
Mansfield would eventually get one run back in the bottom of the fourth, but, The Rock pushed its lead out to 6-2 with two runs in the seventh via RBI by Merligano and Fuscardo as well as a sacrifice fly RBI by Joe Campagna in the eighth.
 
Mansfield once again climbed its way back in the game via a three-run bottom of the eighth that forced Rock starter Alex Pantuso out of the game for reliever Andrew Null, who retired the final two outs of the inning with SRU clinging to a 6-5 lead.
 
However, SRU couldn't preserve the win as Mansfield tallied two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, including a game-winning score on a walkoff wild pitch to escape with a 7-6 win.
 
Pantuso gave The Rock 7.1 innings of solid pitching with nine strikeouts to go with eight hits and five runs allowed. Null (2-1) finished the game for SRU. He gave up two runs on three hits and three wild pitches in the loss.
 
The Rock recorded 10 hits against the Mounties. The quartet of Christian Porterfield, Jezioro, Merigliano and Wood all went 2-for-4 with Merigliano driving in a pair of runs and Jezioro tallying a pair of outfield assists.
 
Mow and Fuscardo had The Rock's remaining two hits. Fuscardo also drove in a pair of runs from his spot atop SRU's batting order.
 
Bonanca scored the game-winning run. Luke Hils started on the mound for Mansfield and received a no-decision after surrendering six runs on 10 hits over eight innings while striking out seven. Relief pitcher Tyler Guidos (2-1) pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn the win.
 
Slippery Rock will close out its time at the Sunshine State Classic 2 p.m. Friday against Wayne State University at Osceola County Stadium. SRU defeated WSU earlier in the week.
 
 
 
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