WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team was swept in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader by California University (Pa.) Saturday afternoon at Wild Things Park in Washington, Pennsylvania.
 
The Rock (14-27, 4-20 PSAC West) dropped the opener to California (33-12, 17-8 PSAC West), 8-2, before falling in game two, 6-1.

GAME ONE: Cal U 8 – Slippery Rock 2
The Vulcans broke a 1-1 tie with six runs over the third and fourth innings on the way to their 8-2 victory in game one.
 
Frankie Jezioro, Ray Scala and Jon Kozarian accounted for two hits apiece in the opener with Jezioro and Kozarian each scoring one run as well.
 
Joe Campagna, Abraham Mow and Luke Trueman also tallied hits. Campagna drove in one run and Mow's hit came by way of a double and was one of The Rock's two extra-base hits, the others being a Kozarian double.
 
Wyatt Daugherty (3-5) and Alex Worthington took the mound for SRU in game one. Daugherty went 3.2 innings and was charged with seven runs allowed. Worthington pitched the final 2.1 innings of the contest, allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out two batters.
 
Slippery Rock entered the third inning trailing 1-0 before Campagna tied the game with an RBI-single that plated Jezioro, who singled earlier in the inning before advancing to third on a Scala single.
 
However, The Rock would strand both Campagna and Scala on base in the third and the Vulcans proceeded to bust the game open with three runs in the bottom of the frame followed by three more in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead.
 
Slippery Rock got one run back in the fifth inning when Kozarian scored on a wild pitch, but Cal U starting pitcher Nick Riggle (7-2), and later reliever Richie Serignese, continued to work out of jams the rest of the game without allowing another run while Cal U added an additional score in the sixth en route to the Vuclans' 8-2 win.
 
Eric Fairman had a three-run home run for the Vulcans and Riggle scattered eight hits over six innings in the win.
 
GAME TWO: Cal U 6 - Slippery Rock 1
Slippery Rock was unable to salvage a doubleheader split in the nightcap as Cal U pulled away late for a 6-1 victory.
 
Starting pitchers Andy McClymonds (2-3) and Bradyn Kail (8-1) traded scoreless innings over the first half of game two with McClymonds holding Cal U to just two hits and Kail limiting The Rock to only three hits of their own.
 
However, a pair of home runs in the fourth inning gave The Vulcans a 3-0 lead they would never relinquish. Nico Marchetti started the big frame with a leadoff home run followed later by a two-run shot from Kristian Webb before McClymonds was able to get out of the inning.
 
The Rock's best chance for a rally came in the sixth. Abraham Mow doubled to lead off the inning. Tyler Merigliano proceeded to put runners on first and third with no outs for The Rock thanks to a single to centerfield, his third hit of the game.
 
However, Cal U relief pitcher Pat Gumbo retired the next three batters in order with just one run allowed, Bo Williams pinch ran for Mow and scored on a wild pitch, to successfully navigate around the two-on, no-out jam and keep the Vulcans' lead safe.
 
Colin Cain came on for McClymonds and pitched a scoreless fifth inning while recording one out in the sixth before giving way to Luke Trueman with runners on first and third. California went on to post three runs in the inning, extending its lead to 6-1. The five-run lead would hold as SRU went down in order in the seventh to give California the sweep.
 
SRU registered five hits in game two, three of which came from Merigliano. Mow and Kyle Bowser produced the other two hits on the day. Just like in game one, Mow, who also walked once, again belted a double in game two.
 
McClymonds scattered three runs on five hits and four innings to go with a pair of strikeouts in the freshman's fourth start of 2019. Cain gave up two runs on three walks in 1.1 innings of work. Trueman ended the day on the mound for The Rock, allowing one run after surrendering two hits and a walk over 0.2 innings.
 
Slippery Rock and Cal U are currently scheduled to play a doubleheader Sunday at Jack Crithcfield Park in what would be The Rock's final games of the 2019 season. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.




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