SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team swept Clarion University in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
The Rock opened the day by winning a 2-1 pitcher's duel before cruising to a 13-2 victory in game two to secure the doubleheader sweep and a 3-1 series win. Slippery Rock exits the weekend with an impressive 9-2 overall record on the season while Clarion drops to 2-7 in 2021 with the losses.
 
For a third time this season, Ricky Mineo (3-0), the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's strikeout leader, was dominant on the mound for SRU while Abraham Mow and Jon Kozarian spearheaded SRU's efforts at the plate.
 
Kozarian, who leads the PSAC with a .583 batting average, went a combined 5-for-7 at the plate over the doubleheader with one run scored, two RBI and a pair of doubles while Mow was 6-for-8 with three runs and two RBI from his spot atop The Rock's batting order. Alex Robenolt and Colin Cain also tallied hits in both halves of Saturday's doubleheader.  
 
GAME ONE: Slippery Rock 2 – Clarion 1
Mineo was dominant on the mound while Kozarian belted a pair of run-scoring doubles to lead Slippery Rock in a 2-1 victory against Clarion to open the doubleheader.
 
Clarion got to Mineo for one run in the first inning, but the remainder of the game belonged to Rock pitchers as Mineo and reliver Andy McClymonds proceeded to allow just one Golden Eagle into scoring position over the remainder of the game.
 
As he had done over his first two starts of the year, Mineo racked up strikeouts in bunches as he fanned 11 Clarion batters before leaving the game following the sixth inning and in the process became first Slippery Rock pitcher in the last 14 years to register three consecutive double-digit strikeout performances.
 
With Mineo cruising on the mound, Slippery Rock's offense went to work. Koby Bubash singled to lead off the third inning and was brought home two batters later when Kozarian hit a ground-rule double to bring SRU even with Clarion at 1-1.
 
Kozarian was back at it again two innings later when he ripped another double to left field to score Nick Reynosa, who singled earlier in the frame, and give Slippery Rock a 2-1 lead it would never relinquish.
 
Following Kozarian's second run-scoring double of the game, Mineo threw another scoreless inning in the sixth before giving way to McClymonds, who promptly struck out three of the four batters he faced to close out the one-run victory.
 
The victory improved Mineo's record to 3-0 on the year. He ended the day by scattering six hits and two walks in addition to his 11 strikeouts over six innings. McClymonds picked up his second save of 2021 with his near perfect seventh inning.
 
Kozarian finished the opener 2-for-3 with two RBI and two doubles. Mow, Robenolt, Cain and Reynosa turned in matching 1-for-3 outings at the plate while Bubash was 1-for-1 with a run scored and a sacrifice hit.
 
To his credit, pitcher Jeremy Frazier (0-2) was solid for Clarion as he surrendered just two runs over five innings on six hits to go with five strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO: Slippery Rock 13 – Clarion 2
Slippery Rock wasted little time establishing itself in game two as SRU's explosive offense pounced on the Golden Eagles with 10 runs over the first two innings before cruising to a 13-2 victory.
 
Every Rock starter recorded at least one hit in game two, with Mow proving particularly impressive as he went 5-for-5 with three runs and two RBI en route to finishing a home run shy of hitting for the cycle and extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Mow's five-hit game is tied for the most hits in a single-game at The Rock in the last 17 years.

Kozarian followed Mow in the batting order with what was a 3-for-4 game that included one run scored and two RBI.
 
Eddie Morris continued the unique start to his collegiate career as he was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, one home run and three RBI. Morris has four hits in his first nine collegiate at-bats, two of which have been home runs.
 
Robenolt, Quentin Brown and Luke Trueman all added two-hit games as well with Trueman and Brown driving in two runs each and Robenolt doubling twice. All told, Brown reached base four times as he also walked twice. Through 11 games, Robenolt leads the PSAC with nine doubles.
 
Cain, Connor Hamilton and Anthony Cinicola all chipped in hits to round out The Rock's offensive leaders.
 
SRU used four pitchers in game two. Andrew Shivak (1-0) got the start and limited Clarion to only two runs on two hits and seven walks over 2.2 innings of work.
 
First out of the bullpen was JT Wolke, who tossed four strikeouts in 2.1 innings of shutout pitching before giving way to Drew Delaney. In his 2021 debut, Delaney did not allow a run while striking out three batters. Travis Holman finished the game by striking out two in a scoreless seventh inning.
 
Highlighted by Morris' two-run home run and a two-run single by Trueman, The Rock put the contest away early with back-to-back five-run innings to start game two. SRU added one run in the fourth and two more in the sixth en route to the 11-run victory.
 
Bryan Layton (0-2), who gave up five runs in one inning pitched, was the pitcher of record for Clarion.
 
Slippery Rock opens the PSAC West portion of its 2021 schedule with a four-game series against California University (Pa.) March 26-27. The Rock travels to Cal U for a doubleheader March 26 before hosting the Vulcans for two games March 27. First pitch on both days is set for 1 p.m.
 
 
 
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