SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 22nd ranked Slippery Rock University baseball team settled for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division weekend series split against California University (Pa.) after splitting a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Jack Critchfield Park.

The Rock took the first game Sunday 5-1 before dropping game two 17-3 as the teams settled for a 2-2 split over the four-game set. Cal U posted a 5-4 win in the opening game of the series Saturday and SRU responded with a 2-0 win in game two before the teams traveled to The Rock to close the series Sunday.
 
Slippery Rock closes the weekend with a 15-5 overall record and a 3-5 mark in PSAC West games, while Cal U improves to 17-7 overall and 3-3 in PSAC West action.
 
Jon Kozarian went a combined 4-for-5 at the plate Sunday, while Joel Spishock was 4-for-7 and Eddie Morris went 3-for-7 and hit his fifth home run of the season.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 5 – CAL 1
 
Luke Trueman pitched a complete game to earn the win and improve to 4-1 on the season in game one Sunday. He scattered six hits while allowing just one run. Truman struck out nine batters and threw just 77 total pitches.
 
The Rock jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first two innings after Abraham Mow led off the game with a double in the first inning and scored on a throwing error. Joel Spishock then led off the second inning with a double and scored on a two RBI single from Joe Ehland that also plated Koby Bubash.
 
Cal U got one run back in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Trueman slammed the door from there and SRU added one insurance run in each of the fifth and sixth innings to complete the 5-1 victory.
 
Eddie Morris hit his fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning with a solo shot to make it 4-1 and Connor Hamilton hit an RBI sacrifice fly that scored Mow in the sixth inning to account for the final 5-1 score.
 
Cal's Troy Lincavage took the loss on the mound in game one after allowing three runs on five hits in three innings of work. Vulcan outfielder Patrick Brogan had the lone RBI in game one for Cal U.
 
GAME TWO: CAL 17 – SRU 3
 
Slippery Rock jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning of game two after Anthony Cinicola hit a double that scored Joel Spishock and Alex Robenolt, but The Rock's offense went cold from there.
 
SRU scattered 12 hits over seven innings but found just three runs and left a total of 10 runners on base.
 
Cal U got one run back in the top of the third inning and tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning before breaking the game open in the top of the fifth. The Vulcans hit three home runs in the fifth and plated seven runs to take a 9-2 lead.
 
Cal matched that number with seven more runs in the sixth inning to blow the game wide open and cruised to a 17-3 win.
 
Andy McClymonds took the loss on the mound for Slippery Rock after allowing five runs in four and a third innings of work. Travis Holman and Colby Anderson both allowed three runs in relief and Drew Delaney gave up five runs. JT Wolke faced three batters and did not allow a run and Tanner Esposito allowed one run in the seventh inning.
 
At the plate, Jon Kozarian went 3-for-4 and Eddie Morris and Joel Spishock both went 2-for-3. Cinicola finished with two RBI and Abraham Mow added one RBI.
 
Slippery Rock wil squeeze in a pair of non-conference games this week with Walsh scheduled to visit Jack Critchfield Park Tuesday for a doubleheader with game one beginning at 1 p.m. The Rock return to PSAC West play next weekend with a four-game series against Gannon with two games Friday in Erie and two more Saturday at SRU.



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