SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Jon Kozarian hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Slippery Rock University baseball team an 8-6 victory against Frostburg State University Wednesday at Jack Critchfield Park.
The non-conference win improves The Rock's record to 10-4 overall while FSU drops to 9-9 following the loss. SRU has now won nine of its last 11 games.
Kozarian's homer capped off Slippery Rock's comeback that saw SRU score six unanswered runs after trailing by as many as four runs earlier in the game.
With the contest tied entering the bottom of the ninth,
Joey Purcell led off the deciding half inning with a single to bring Kozarian to the plate. Following two quick strikes, Kozarian drove AJ Campbell's next pitch out of Critchfield Park to cap off The Rock's rally.
Kozarian, the reigning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Athlete of the Week, closed the game going 2-for-5 with one run scored, one home run, three RBI and a stolen base. The walk-off shot marked Kozarian's team-leading fourth home run of the season.
Koby Bubash also drove in three runs while Purcell,
Luke Trueman and
Colin Cain each collected two hits with Purcell scoring twice and Cain reaching base a third time by way of one of SRU's three walks on the day.
Cam Panyko Morris and
Joseph Ehland produced identical 1-for-3, two-run, one-walk outings as well. Ehland has now hit safely in 11 consecutive games.
Noah Ross rounded out The Rock's top hitters by going 1-for-2 to extend his hitting streak to nine games.
Slippery Rock used seven pitchers Wednesday as
Jake Norris earned his first win at SRU after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Tanner Esposito started the contest and allowed two runs on one hit and a walk while posting three strikeouts before giving way to
Robert Herr, who scattered one run over 1.2 innings of work.
Eoin Rossman was the third arm to take the mound for The Rock. He recorded one out while being charged with three runs on a hit and two walks.
Gino Marra registered all three outs in the fourth inning and while he both runners he inherited scored, he was able to get out of the inning without allowing further damage.
The trio of
Michael Kitko,
Nate Malak and Norris proceeded to throw five shutout innings to aid The Rock's comeback efforts.
In what was his collegiate debut, Kitko struck out three batters over two innings of flawless work out of SRU's bullpen. Malak, a fellow freshman, followed suit by giving up just one hit in two more scoreless innings followed by Norris' previously mentioned perfect ninth inning.
SRU trailed 6-2 entering the fifth inning when its comeback bid started as Ehland scored on a passed ball to make it a three-run contest. After a scoreless sixth, Slippery Rock posted three runs in the seventh to tie the game.
Following three consecutive walks to open the inning, Cain scored on a wild pitch followed later in the inning by an RBI-single from Kozarian and a game-tying sacrifice fly courtesy of Bubash.
The Rock and Bobcats traded scoreless half innings in the eighth, leading to the deciding ninth inning where SRU earned its win.
Campbell (0-1), the eighth pitcher used on the day by FSU, was the pitcher of record for Frostburg State. Ethan Kiple and Cy Probst both had home runs to pace Frostburg's hitters.
Slippery Rock returns to competition when it opens PSAC West competition with a four-game series against Mercyhurst University March 24-25. SRU will first host the Lakers for a doubleheader March 24 at Jack Critchfield Park before traveling to Erie for two games March 25.
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