INSTITUTE, W. Va. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader on the road Saturday at West Virginia State University.
 
SRU earned a convincing 25-0 victory in the opener before WVSU salvaged the split with a 5-2 comeback victory in game two. Saturday's results move The Rock's record to 6-3 overall while the Yellow Jackets end the day at 4-5.
 
The Rock's 25 runs in the opener is tied for the fourth highest single-game run total at SRU while its 25-run margin of victory was the largest in program history. Slippery Rock has now scored at least 23 runs in three of its last four games.
 
The quartet of Jon Kozarian, Joseph Ehland, Luke Trueman and Noah Ross all had hits in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader.
 
Kozarian paced the group with three hits, four runs scored, one home run and seven RBI in both games. His home run, a grand slam in the opener, was his second of the season.
 
Trueman went a combined 3-for-7 with one run and two RBI Saturday while Ehland and Ross each had two hits with Ehland scoring four runs and Ross crossing home plate on three occasions.
 
Starting pitchers Devin Dunn and Joey Purcell both turned in great outings against the Yellow Jackets as the duo combined to pitch 14 innings without allowing a run to go with 13 strikeouts and just seven hits allowed.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 25 – WVSU 0
Slippery Rock scored early and often while Dunn was nearly unhittable on the way to The Rock's largest win in program history.
 
SRU's potent offense accounted for 18 hits and nine walks in game one. The 18 hits, which were distributed among 12 athletes, included seven extra-base hits (four doubles, three home runs).
 
Kozarian led the way in game one with two hits, four runs scored, one home run and seven RBI. His seven RBI is tied for the second highest single-game total in program history – the record belongs to Todd Schickling, who had eight RBI vs. Mansfield in 2006.
 
Robby Barrientos continued his hot streak as well with two hits, one of which was his first home run of the season, three runs scored and four RBI. Colin Cain also had a home run as part of a 3-for-3, four-run, three-RBI outing.
 
Purcell and Koby Bubash added two-hit, two-run, one-RBI performances as well with Bubash also walking twice and stealing one base.
 
Ehland, Ross, Trueman, Alex Robenolt, Cam Panyko Morris, Eddie Morris and Robert Herr rounded out The Rock's top batters at one hit apiece with Morris also scoring twice and driving in two runs with a double. Ehland, who scored three runs, reached base three times courtesy of two walks in addition to his base hit.
 
Meanwhile, Dunn (2-0), the reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic West Pitcher of the Week, turned in another dominant performance on the mound in the form of a complete game, three-hit shutout. Included in the outing was four strikeouts and no walks allowed. The Rock's ace has now pitched back-to-back shutouts.  
 
With the game in a scoreless tie through one inning, a two-run home run by Cain followed later in the inning by a two-RBI double from Kozarian paced an explosive five-run second inning for The Rock. Barrientos proceeded to match Cain with a two-run shot of his own to push Slippery Rock's lead out to a commanding 7-0 through three innings.
 
Highlighted by a grand slam from Koaarian, Slippery Rock went on to completely put the game out of reach with 15 runs in the fifth inning.
 
Dating back to the 2003 season, The Rock's big fifth frame is tied for the most runs scored in a single-inning by a SRU team – Slippery Rock also scored 15 runs in the sixth inning of its 21-5 victory over West Liberty on April 15, 2008.
 
Slippery Rock capped off the big victory with three final runs in the seventh followed by Dunn putting the finishing touches on the shutout with three quick outs in the final half inning.
 
Chase Norris (1-2) was the pitcher of record for West Virginia State in the opener, he gave up five runs on five hits and one walk over 1.2 innings.
 
GAME TWO: WVSU 5 – SRU 2
Slippery Rock held a lead going into the eighth inning, but a late West Virginia State rally allowed the Yellow Jackets to avoid the sweep and earn a 5-2 win.
 
In stark contrast to the opener, game two was a duel for much of the game between Purcell and Tyler Lafferty. Both pitchers traded shutout frames over the opening four innings to send the game into the fifth in a scoreless tie.
 
With one out in the fifth, Ehland drove a double to right field before taking third on a WVSU throwing error. Bubash then scored Ehland via a sacrifice fly for the game's first run before Lafferty was able to get out of the inning.
 
Purcell maintained The Rock's one-run lead by throwing two more scoreless innings before an RBI-single by Trueman in the top of the eighth plated Ross, who singled to lead off the inning and took second on a wild pitch, giving SRU a late 2-0 lead.
 
However, West Virginia State was finally able to breakthrough in the eighth inning as the Yellow Jackets got to reliever Tanner Esposito, who came on in place of Purcell to start the inning, for five runs including four off a Tyler Overaitis grand slam.
 
Yellow Jacket reliever Foster Conis retired SRU in order in the ninth to pick up his first save of 2023 and close out WVSU's comeback win.
 
Purcell had the best pitching performance of his young career with seven shutout innings that included nine strikeouts and just four hits allowed with no walks. Esposito (1-1) took the loss after giving up five runs, only one of which was earned, in one inning pitched.
 
Trueman closed game two by going 2-for-3 with one RBI and a walk. Ehland, Kozarian and Ross collected hits as well with Ehland and Ross scoring one run apiece. Bubash reached base three times and drove in one RBI to round out SRU's leaders from game two.
 
Lafferty gave West Virginia State seven innings with one run allowed on three hits and two walks. Tyrus Baumgardner (1-1) was credited with the win after coming on for Lafferty and giving up one run in the eighth.
 
Slippery Rock and West Virginia State will finish off their three-game series with a nine-inning contest 1 p.m. Sunday at Cal Bailey Field in Institute, West Virginia.
 
 
 
 
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