ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader Friday on the road at Gannon University.
 
After earning a 5-3 victory in game one, Slippery Rock settled for the split after dropping an 8-5 decision in game two. Friday's results move The Rock's record to 17-7 on the season overall and 4-6 in the PSAC West while Gannon exits the day at 15-8 overall and 6-4 in league contests.
 
Eddie Morris had hits over both ends of Friday's doubleheader, finishing the day going 3-for-5 with one run, three RBI, a double and two walks.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 5 – GU 3
Slippery Rock withstood a solid Golden Knight team as well as unpredictable weather that included rain, snow and even lightning to pull out a 5-3 win in the opener.
 
Starting pitcher Devin Dunn (5-1) turned in another great start as he limited Gannon by scattering five hits over five innings and striking out three batters without yielding a single walk and allowing just two unearned runs to pick up the win.
 
Following a lengthy weather delay, Andy McClymonds took over for Dunn with two great innings of work in which he struck out four batters with just one run allowed en route to his first save of the season.
 
The trio of Koby Bubash, Joe Ehland and Jon Kozarian led the way offensive in game one as Bubash and Kozarian each hit home runs with Ehland posting a pair of RBI as well. Bubash and Ehland combined for four of SRU's six hits on the day via matching 2-for-3 showings.
 
Kozarian got SRU going in the first inning with a solo home run, his second of the season. Slippery Rock added to its early lead an inning later as Joel Spishock walked followed by Bubash driving a two-out double that put runners on second and third before Ehland belted a ball off the centerfield wall to plate a pair of runs and give The Rock a 3-0 edge.
 
Gannon scored its first runs of the day in the third when the Golden Knights took advantage of a Rock fielding error that put the inning's leadoff hitter Trey Zeroski on second base, and ultimately prolonged the inning before Brandon Wetherholt launched a home run to cut SRU's lead down to 3-2 heading into the fourth inning.
 
SRU proceeded to get one of its runs back the following inning courtesy of an RBI-groundout by Luke Trueman that plated Morris from third base. The Rock and Golden Knights went on to trade scoreless frames before a lightning delay halted play prior to the start of the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
Out of the delay, McClymonds came on for Dunn and proceeded to strikeout four batters and give up just one run while Bubash launched a solo home run for added insurance to finish off the 5-3 victory.
 
Deven Judy took the loss for Gannon after giving up four runs on five hits and two walks over six innings.
 
GAME 2: GU 8 - SRU 5
A six-run inning ultimately proved too much for Slippery Rock to overcome in an 8-5 loss to Gannon in game two.
 
As was the case in game two, Slippery Rock once again scored early as Abraham Mow and Kozarian drew back-to-back walks to begin the contest before eventually scoring via a bases-clearing double by Morris.
 
However, Gannon answered back with a six-run fourth inning highlighted by a grand slam from Ian Hess that gave the Golden Knights a 6-2 lead Slippery Rock could not quite rally back from as SRU and GU went on to trade two-run innings before Gannon escaped with the 8-5 win after The Rock scored once in the seventh, but left the bases loaded.
 
Morris, Alex Robenolt and Connor Hamilton all collected two-hit games in the nightcap with Morris leading the way on a 2-for-2, 3-RBI, two-walk showing. Spishock and Robenolt also had one RBI each while Mow scored two runs and walked three times.
 
Trueman (4-2) was the pitcher of record for The Rock after allowing six runs, only one of which was earned, on eight hits to go with five strikeouts in four innings.
 
Tanner Esposito and Robert Herr each pitched one inning in relief. Esposito gave up two runs on three hits while Herr worked around a hit and a walk in a scoreless frame. Both Esposito and Herr tallied two strikeouts.
 
Reigning PSAC West Pitcher of the Week Eric Sapp earned the win for Gannon after striking out 10 batters in five innings and giving up four runs on five hits and five walks. Kevin Schott picked up the save after coming on for GU reliever Jaret Boyer in the seventh to register the game's final two outs.
 
Slippery Rock and Gannon conclude their four-game series with a doubleheader Saturday at Jack Critchfield Park. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.
 




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