SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team completed a three-game series sweep of Alliance University with a wild 23-14 victory Sunday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
Slippery Rock's sweep over the Warriors improves its record to 5-2 on the season while Alliance exits the weekend at 1-8 in 2023. SRU scored 54 runs in the three games, including back-to-back contests with at least 20 runs.
 
Prior to this weekend, Slippery Rock had scored 20 runs in back-to-back games just one other time in program history: in 2009 The Rock earned consecutive 26-2 and 22-4 victories against the University of the Sciences.
 
SRU held a seemingly safe 9-1 lead through five innings before a hectic close to the contest saw Alliance battle back to trim The Rock's advantage to just two runs at 11-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
However, any thoughts of an Alliance comeback victory were dashed in the bottom half of the inning as The Rock exploded for 12 runs to put the contest out of reach.
 
SRU sent 18 batters to the plate in the seventh as part of one of the highest scoring innings for The Rock in recent memory. Jon Kozarian led the way by driving in four of the runs over two plate appearances in the inning while the duo of Darryn Callahan and Robby Barrientos each had two-run hits as well.
 
Alliance was able to tack on five more runs in the eighth, but it never truly threatened The Rock's sizable lead as freshman Parker Hogge came on in relief of Jake Norris with one out in the eighth and proceeded to get out of the frame with consecutive strikeouts followed by throwing two more strikeouts and inducing a game-ending grounder to Kozarian at short for the 23-14 Slippery Rock victory.
 
Eleven SRU athletes accounted for the team's 18 hits Sunday. Colin Cain paced the offense by going 3-for-5 with four RBI and a double.
 
Kozarian, Joey Purcell, Koby Bubash, Alex Robenolt and Noah Ross all produced two-hit games with Kozarian driving in a game-best five runs thanks in part to two doubles in addition to scoring three runs.
 
Ross, who walked twice while going 2-for-3 as Slippery Rock's designated hitter, also scored four runs with three RBI. Bubash, who reached base five times with three walks accompanying his two hits, scored four runs an now boasts a .563 on-base percentage through seven games.
 
Callahan, Barrientos, Robert Herr, Joseph Ehland and Braden Olson rounded out Slippery Rock's top batters with one hit apiece. Callahan (2), Barrientos (2), Ehland (1) and Olson (1) all had at least one RBI as well.
 
Luke Trueman (1-1) earned the victory on the mound for The Rock after shutting Alliance's batters down over all five innings he pitched as he gave up just one run on three hits with no walks to go with four strikeouts.
 
Slippery Rock relievers Norris (1.0 IP, 6 runs) and Gino Marra (1.1 IP, 7 runs) combined to pitch 2.1 innings prior to Hogge finishing out the game with four strikeouts and no hits or runs allowed in 1.2 shutout innings.
 
Eric Bittiger went 3-for-6 with three runs, one home runs and five RBI for Alliance. Joseph Giansante (0-3) was the pitcher of record for the Warriors. He gave up eight runs on four hits and six walks in 1.2 innings pitched.
 
Slippery Rock continues its 11-game homestand with a three-game series March 10-12 against West Virginia State. The Rock and Yellow Jackets will play a trio of nine-inning games at Jack Critchfield Park, all of which are scheduled for 1 p.m. starts.
 
 
 
 
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