SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team swept California University (Pa.) in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader Saturday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
Slippery Rock picked up an 8-1 victory in the opener followed by a 9-3 win in game two to close out the sweep. Saturday's wins gives SRU a 3-1 series victory over the Vulcans.
 
The Rock exits the weekend with an overall record of 12-3 and a PSAC West mark of 3-1 while California drops to 10-6 overall and 1-3 in league games.
 
Alex Robenolt, Luke Trueman, Quentin Brown and Connor Hamilton all had very productive doubleheaders. Robenolt paced The Rock's efforts by going 5-for-8 with two runs scored and five RBI over the two games. He hit two doubles to increase his PSAC-leading total to 12 in 2021.
 
Trueman was 3-for-6 with two runs, one home run and three RBI. Brown added three hits and an RBI over the two games while Hamilton collected two hits, two RBI and three walks on the day.
 
Travis Holman was extremely effective out of The Rock's bullpen Saturday. He picked up a pair of unconventional saves while pitching 5.2 innings over the two games. Holman allowed only one unearned run and posted seven strikeouts.
 
GAME ONE: Slippery Rock 8 – Cal U 1
Ricky Mineo (4-0) turned in another dominant outing on the mound while Trueman hit a two-run home run as part of an 8-1 game one victory for The Rock.
 
Mineo was virtually flawless on the afternoon as he cruised through the first five innings, holding the Vulcans scoreless and allowing just two baserunners all the while striking out eight of the first 16 batters he faced.
 
With the California bats being kept in check, Slippery Rock's offense went to work. Trueman got SRU on the board early with a two-run home run in the second inning followed by runs in each of the next two frames via run-scoring hits from Robenolt and Jon Kozarian to give Slippery Rock a comfortable 4-0 lead through five innings.
 
Mineo opened the sixth inning by striking out the first batter he faced before giving up back-to-back hits to end his day. Holman came on out of The Rock's bullpen to get out of the inning, but not before Cal U was able to score its first run of the day on a wild pitch to trim The Rock's lead to 4-1.
 
However, SRU proceeded to end any thoughts of a Vulcan comeback in the bottom half of the inning. The Rock exploded for four runs thanks to RBI-hits from Trueman and Koby Bubash as well as a two-run double by Robenolt. Holman then worked around a leadoff hit in the seventh to retire the next three California hitters to seal the 8-1 win.
 
Mineo went 5.1 innings for SRU with nine strikeouts and just one run allowed on three hits and one walk. Mineo now leads the PSAC in victories and total strikeouts this season (41) in addition to posting a 2.01 ERA. Holman struck out two batters in 1.2 innings of work out of the bullpen.
 
Robenolt finished the opener 2-for-4 with three RBI. Trueman was 2-for-3 with two runs, one home run and two RBI. Bubash and Kozarian registered two-hit, two-run games as well with Kozarian also adding a pair of RBI.
 
Brown chipped in The Rock's ninth hit of the game and Hamilton drew three walks to round out SRU's top offensive performers.
 
Zach Rohaley (0-2) gave up four runs on five hits and four walks over five innings pitched in the loss for Cal U.
 
GAME TWO: Slippery Rock 9 – Cal U 3
SRU scored eight runs over the first two innings on the way to a 9-3 win in game two.
 
Eight Rock players accounted for 12 hits in game two. Robenolt led the way with another great game out the plate as the centerfielder went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.
 
Hamilton, Brown and Abraham Mow were all 2-for-4 in the nightcap with Hamilton driving in two runs and Brown also producing one RBI.
 
Eddie Morris was 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Through the first 13 at-bats of his collegiate career, Morris has hit three home runs to go with five runs scored and seven RBI.
 
Trueman and Colin Cain were each 1-for-3 for The Rock as well. Trueman posted his ninth RBI of the season with his hit.  
 
The combination of Andy McClymonds (2-0) and Holman proved an effective one for The Rock in game two. McClymonds scattered two runs on three hits and three walks over three innings before giving way to Holman, who struck out five batters while surrendering just one unearned run in four innings of work.
 
SRU wasted little time busting game two open as it scored four runs in the first inning, highlighted by a Hamilton two-run double, followed by four more runs in the next inning that was capped off by Morris' two-run home run.
 
The Vulcans appeared poised to cut into The Rock's lead in the third inning after loading the bases with just one out, but McClymonds was able to get out of the jam unscathed by forcing back-to-back flyouts to end the inning.
 
Slippery Rock went on to add a final run in the fourth courtesy of a run-scoring single by Brown while California was only able to get to Holman for a single unearned run over the remainder of the game as SRU cruised to the six-run victory.
 
Jackob McCaskey (1-1) was the pitcher of record for the Vulcans. He gave up nine runs on 10 hits in four innings.
 
Slippery Rock will now turn its attention to a four-game series against Gannon University April 2-3. The Rock will host the Golden Knights April 2 before finishing out the series at Gannon on April 3. First pitch of game one both days is set for 1 p.m.
 
 


 
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