ERIE, Pa. - The No. 21 Slippery Rock University baseball team opened the final weekend of the regular season with a doubleheader split at Mercyhurst University Friday.
 
Slippery Rock outlasted Mercyhurst in the opener to earn a 12-10 win before dropping game two, 12-3.
 
With the split, Slippery Rock's record moves to 31-13 overall and 16-10 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division while Mercyhurst exits the day at 28-15 overall and 15-11 in league games. The 31 wins represent the second-highest single-season win total for the program over the last 15 years. 
 
SRU is still in great position to clinch berth into the upcoming PSAC Tournament heading into the final two games of regular season on Saturday against Mercyhurst.
 
If Slippery Rock wins at least one of its final two games against the Lakers it is assured of a conference tournament berth no matter what happens elsewhere in the PSAC West. Even if SRU were to lose both games Saturday there are still several paths to earning a PSAC Tournament bid, but they all require help from other conference games going on around the league over the remainder of the weekend.
 
The highlight of the day for Slippery Rock came from Connor Hamilton, who hit two homers over the doubleheader to tie The Rock's single-season home run record of 16. Prior to Hamilton's big day, Brad Lowe held sole possession of SRU's single-season record for home runs with 16 in 1998.
 
All told, Hamilton finished the doubleheader going 4-for-6 with three runs, two home runs, six RBI, a double and two walks.
 
Joel Spishock also had a productive afternoon as he continued his career-year with a 4-for-7 showing over thet wo games that included three runs, two home runs and three RBI. Spishock enters the final games of the regular season hitting .423.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 12 – MU 10
The Rock and Mercyhurst traded big hits throughout the late stages of the opener as SRU slugged its way to an eventual 12-10 victory over the Lakers in game one.
 
Five of Slippery Rock's 11 hits in the game one were home runs as Joel Spishock and Luke Trueman each homered twice with Hamilton adding another home run as part of a 2-for-3, two-run, two-walk, four-RBI game.
 
The last time Slippery Rock had two athletes with multi-home run games was Feb. 25, 2018 when Christian Porterfield hit three homers and Matt Mandes belted a pair against Shippensburg.
 
Spishock also collected another hit, going 3-for-4 with three runs. Koby Bubash displayed his power as well with a run-scoring double while Joe Ehland drove in two runs as well.
 
The offensive barrage from Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst began in the third inning via a two-run home run from Hamilton only for the Lakers to answer back with four runs of their own in the bottom of frame.
 
SRU re-took the lead at 5-4 an inning later by way of an RBI-double from Bubash and a two-run single by Ehland. Mercyhurst responded with two more runs in the fourth only for The Rock to counter with two of their own by way of back-to-back home runs from Trueman and Spishock to give SRU a 7-6 advantage.
 
Thanks to quality relief pitching by Andy McClymonds, who came on for starter Devin Dunn in the fifth, Slippery Rock was able to carry its narrow lead into the seventh inning where SRU would explode for five runs.
 
Spishock and Trueman both once again homered in the inning with Hamilton plating a pair of runs on a double and Spishock eventually driving another run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to give SRU a seemingly safe 12-6 lead.
 
However, Mercyhurst attempted to rally and would come close to pulling off a hectic comeback bid, as the Lakers went for four runs in the bottom of the seventh only for McClymonds to re-group and post back-to-back strikeouts to end the game, giving The Rock a two-run win.
 
Dunn improved to 9-1 on the year after going four innings and allowing six runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts before exiting the game in the fifth inning with a one-run lead. His win moves him into a tie with Mike Sikorski (2003) and Kirk Scurpa (1989) for the third most victories in a single-season in program history.
 
McClymonds earned his third save of the season after striking out six batters in three innings with four runs surrendered on four hits and five walks.
 
Mercyhurst starter Jarrett Heilman (7-1) was the pitcher of record for the Lakers. He allowed six runs on six hits and three walks. MU used five other pitchers in the contest following Heilman.
 
GAME 2: MU 12 - SRU 3
Mercyhurst jumped out to an early eight-run lead and never looked back in a 12-3 victory as the Lakers salvaged the day with a doubleheader split.
 
After scoring two runs in the first inning, MU posted a decisive six runs in the second to take a commanding lead The Rock could never answer back from.
 
The trio of Hamilton, Bubash and Jon Kozarian all went 2-for-3 for The Rock in game two with Hamilton driving in two runs on his home run and Kozarian also registering one RBI. Spishock and Alex Robenolt had one hit to round out SRU's top performers in the nightcap.
 
Trueman (5-4) had a rare off-outing on the mound for Slippery Rock, allowing eight runs on eight hits and two walks before being taken out of the game in the second inning.
 
Slippery Rock ended the day on the mound by using relievers Christian Seelhorst (0.1 IP, 2 runs), Colby Anderson (1.1 IP, 2 runs, 1 strikeout), JT Wolke (2.1 IP, 0 runs).
 
Slippery Rock closes out its regular season with a home doubleheader against the Lakers Saturday at Critchfield Park. First pitch of game one is slated for 1 p.m.
 
Prior to Saturday's games Slippery Rock will recognize its eight-man senior class of Hamilton, McClymonds, Seelhorst, Spishock, Wolke, Anthony Cinicola, Travis Holman and Abraham Mow as well student manager Zachary Mancz for their contributions to the program over their careers.
 
 
 
 


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