Walters' Career Home Run Breakdown

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Senior catcher / first baseman Tyler Walters broke the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference career home run record in the Slippery Rock University baseball team's doubleheader sweep of Alderson Broaddus University Wednesday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
Slippery Rock totaled 25 runs on the day, winning the opener 13-8 and game two 12-7. The non-conference sweep improved The Rock's record to 25-11, ensuring SRU of its 31st winning season in the last 32 years under head coach Jeff Messer, who is now 11 victories away from his 1,000th career win.
 
Walters entered Wednesday's game tied with Shippensburg University alum Jake Kennedy for first on the PSAC all-time home run ledger with 45. In the third inning of game one Walters made history when he sent a 1-0 pitch deep over the left field wall to become the first player in PSAC history to hit 46 home runs in a career. He went on to belt his 47th homer with another deep shot in game two.
 
Walters concluded his record-setting day by combining to go 3-for-6 with three runs scored, two home runs and five RBI over the doubleheader. His 11 home runs this season are a PSAC-best.
 
The Rock's high-powered offense was on full display Wednesday. Over the doubleheader SRU produced 33 total hits, 14 of which were of the extra base variety, from 10 different players.
 
Frankie Jezioro was 6-for-8 over the doubleheader with three runs, four RBI and three stolen bases. Jezioro has now swiped a career-best 14 bases this season, the fifth most of any PSAC athlete.
 
Joe Campagna continued to swing a hot bat by going 5-for-7 with five runs and four RBI. Three of Campagna's hits were doubles. Campagna has raised his batting average 38 points over the last six games and is now hitting a team-high .378.
 
Luca Fuscardo exploded for a 4-for-7, two-run, four-RBI afternoon. Fuscardo is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak. Cleanup hitter Christian Porterfield rounded out The Rock's top performers Wednesday with a 4-for-8, three-run, two-RBI, two-double outing.
 
GAME ONE: Slippery Rock 13 – Alderson Broaddus 8
In what was a reoccurring theme Wednesday, Alderson Broaddus got out to an early lead in the opener before one huge inning completely tilted things in The Rock's favor.
 
SRU entered the bottom of the third inning trailing 4-1, but 11 hits, one walk and 10 runs later The Rock exited the frame leading 11-4 and in firm control of the game. Walters, Porterfield and Matt Mandes had two RBI apiece in the inning with the highlight being Walters' record-breaking home run.
 
The Battlers tallied four runs over the remainder of the game, but never seriously threatened SRU's sizeable lead in the eventual 13-8 win.
 
Every Rock player to register an at-bat had at least one hit in game one, seven of which had multi-hit contests. Campagna went 3-for-4 while Walters, Porterfield, Fuscardo, Jezioro, Mandes, Tyler Merigliano and Ray Scala all produced two-hit efforts with Jezioro plating an SRU-high three runs.
 
Derek Boben made his first career start on the mound for SRU. He scattered four runs on five hits and two walks over three innings to go with three strikeouts. With Boben ineligible to record a win due to not pitching the required number of innings, reliever Alex Worthington (1-0) tallied his first victory at Slippery Rock after throwing the final four innings. He struck out five Battlers while giving up four runs.
 
GAME TWO: Slippery Rock 12 – Alderson Broaddus 7
As was the case in game one, Alderson Broaddus once again built an early lead, but SRU turned in another signature big inning at the plate to pull away for the 12-7 victory.
 
Trailing 7-5 heading into the fourth inning, Slippery Rock rallied back with a five-run showing that featured a two-run double by Fuscardo, RBI-singles from Jezioro and Michael Collins as well as a sacrifice fly RBI off the bat of Walters.
 
The Rock went on to add a pair of insurance runs via a sacrifice fly by Campagna that plated Abraham Mow in the fifth and another RBI-single by Collins in the sixth.
 
While the SRU offense supplied the runs, the SRU relief trio of Stephen McKee (1-2), Tanner Stanz and Wyatt Daugherty came through with four scoreless innings out of the bullpen to secure the win.
 
Starter Shawn Holman allowed four runs in one inning and Ryan Tapp surrendered three runs in two innings of work before McKee came in to quiet the upstart A-B offense by tossing two shutout innings. He gave way to Stanz, who had a perfect sixth followed by Daugherty closing out the day with a quick and nearly flawless seventh.
 
Jezioro shined in game two, going 4-for-4 with two runs, one RBI, a double and three stolen bases. Walters, Campagna and Fuscardo drove in three runs each while Collins delivered the best game of his young career on a 3-for-4 outing that included two RBI.
 
Slippery Rock returns to PSAC West competition with a four-game series April 27-28 against California (Pa.). First pitch of game one on both days is set for 1 p.m.

The Rock will host the Vulcans April 28 at Jack Critchfield Park as part of their Senior Day celebration in which SRU will honor its 11-man senior class of Porterfield, Walters, Holman, Fuscardo, McKee, Mandes, Andrew Null, Mitchell Wood, Alex Pantuso, Kyle Wise and Matt Gordon.
 
 
 

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