SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Ricky Mineo recorded 17 strikeouts while combining with Travis Holman for the seventh documented no-hitter in program history to highlight the Slippery Rock University baseball team's doubleheader sweep of Davis & Elkins Sunday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
Behind the combined no-hitter from Mineo (1-0) and Holman as well as grand slams from Abraham Mow and Connor Hamilton, SRU opened the day with a 19-0 victory in game one followed by a 4-2 sweep-clinching victory in game two.
 
Slippery Rock exits its opening weekend of the 2022 season with a perfect 4-0 record while Davis & Elkins falls to 3-8 on the year overall. The Rock outscored the Senators 47-3 in the four-game series.
 
Mineo's 17-strikeout performance is not only a Slippery Rock single-game record, but also the fourth most strikeouts in a game in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference history behind only Dan Altavilla (Mercyhurst, 2014, 19), Peter Riffle (Kutztown, 1966, 19) and Clyde Mellinger (Shippensburg, 1915, 18).
 
Mow went a combined 5-for-7 over the doubleheader with five runs, one home run, eight RBI and a pair of doubles with Hamilton hitting safely in three of his six at-bats over the two games while tallying three runs, one home run, five RBI, one double and three walks.
 
Rounding out The Rock's leaders through both ends of the doubleheader was Jon Kozarian, who went 3-for-7 with three runs, three RBI, two doubles, two walks and a stolen base.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 19 – D&E 0
Mineo turned in one of the top pitching performances in program history to guide The Rock to a 19-0 win over the Senators in the opener.
 
To say The Rock's junior hurler was dominant Sunday would be an understatement as Mineo accounted for 17 of SRU's first 18 outs, all coming by way of strikeout to enter both the program and PSAC record books. The only out recorded by SRU other than a Mineo strikeout in the first six innings was when Hamilton threw out Avante Neal on a steal attempt in the third.
 
While Mineo cruised on the mound, Slippery Rock's potent offense posted all 19 of its runs over the opening five innings highlighted by grand slams from Hamilton and Mow. Hamilton's home run was his third of the weekend.
 
With the game well in hand and his pitch count rising, Mineo left the contest prior to the seventh inning for Holman, who promptly retired the side in order to close out the no-hitter.
 
Coincidently enough, Slippery Rock's last no-hitter also involved Mineo as he and Joe Dombrowski combined to no-hit Wheeling Jesuit on April 4, 2019.
 
Mow finished game one by going 2-for-3 with three runs, six RBI, a double and a home run. Hamilton was a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three walks a home run and four RBI. Joel Spishock also joined the power barrage with a home run of his own in a 2-for-3, three-run showing.
 
Kozarian, Luke Trueman and Anthony Cinicola collected two hits as well with Trueman picking up three RBI and the duo of Kozarian and Cinicola scoring three runs apiece.
 
Joe Purcell, Eddie Morris and Joe Ehland rounded out SRU's top performers with one hit each. Ehland also scored three runs while walking twice.

Slippery Rock's 19 runs in the opener were also the most in a single-game by SRU since a 20-5 win over California University (Pa.) during the 2018 season.
 
Mason Brenneman (1-2) gave up 11 runs on eight hits and five walks over 2.1 innings in the loss for Davis & Elkins.
 
GAME TWO: SRU 4 – D&E 2
Slippery Rock scored four unanswered runs over the opening of game two to finish off a four-game sweep of Davis & Elkins with a 4-2 victory.
 
Following a scoreless top of the first, Mow belted a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame before eventually scoring on an RBI-double by Hamilton to give The Rock an early 1-0 lead.
 
SRU added three runs in the fourth inning off of a two-run single by Mow that plated Ehland and Koby Bubash. Mow then scored later in the inning courtesy of a run-scoring double by Koarian and ffter four innings Slippery Rock appeared to be firmly in control with a 4-0 lead.
 
To their credit, the Senators did not quit as they scored one run off of Slippery Rock starter Andy McClymonds (1-0) in the fifth followed by another against reliever Christian Seelhorst in the sixth to make it a two-run game.
 
Still trailing by two runs, Austin Beattie led off the seventh with a walk to bring the potential game-tying run to the plate. However, any ideas of a comeback victory were quieted when JT Wolke came on to record three consecutive outs to close out the win and grant SRU the series sweep.
 
McClymonds earned his first win of the year after scattering one run on six hits all the while registering 11 strikeouts in five innings of work. Seelhorst allowed one run on four walks in one inning before giving way to Wolke who earned a save with two strikeouts and a scoreless seventh inning.
 
Mow was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI in game two. Colin Cain also compiled a multi-hit day by going 2-for-3. Kozarian, Hamilton, Bubash and Alex Robenolt picked up hits as well in game two with Robenolt also walking once.
 
Justin Wisniewski surrendered four runs on seven hits and three walks over 3.1 innings in the loss for D&E.  

Slippery Rock will now take its perfect record on the road for a three-game series March 11-13 at West Virginia State University.






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