MANSFIELD, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team hit six home runs as part of a doubleheader sweep at Mansfield University Tuesday.
 
The Rock opened the day by tallying a double-digit run total in a game for the sixth time this season in a 10-3 victory followed by a 5-1 sweep-clinching win in game two. The non-conference wins improve Slippery Rock's record to 18-17 overall in 2023 while Mansfield moves to 10-24.
 
Slippery Rock was led Tuesday by the veteran quartet of Luke Trueman, Joseph Ehland, Koby Bubash and Alex Robenolt.
 
Trueman continued what has shaped up to be a dominant senior season by going a combined 4-for-8 at the plate over the doubleheader with three runs scored, two home runs and five RBI. Trueman has now homered in six of his last eight games to push his season total to a Rock-best nine.
 
Like Trueman, Ehland also hit home runs in both games as part of a 4-for-8, three-run, five-RBI, two-homer doubleheader. Ehland has now collected hits in 11 of SRU's previous 12 contests.
 
Bubash was 4-for-7 with two runs, one home runs and a pair of RBI on the day while Robenolt rounded out the group with two hits, one of which being his fifth home run of the season.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 10 – MU 3
Slippery Rock produced one of its top offensive performances in over a month on the way to a 10-3 victory in the opener over the Mounties.
 
SRU posted 15 hits in game one, seven of which went for extra bases, as The Rock slugged their way to a victory. Ehland, Bubash and Trueman all hit home runs in addition to one double apiece to pace the attack.
 
Ehland closed the game going 3-for-4 with two runs, one home run and three RBI with Bubash also going 3-for-4 with two runs, his first homer of the season and two RBI. Trueman finished 2-for-5 with two runs, one home run and four RBI.
 
Joey Purcell added two hits as well while Jon Kozarian reached base twice with a hit and a walk. Robenolt, Noah Ross, Braden Olson and Robert Herr registered hits as well in the opener with Olson's being an RBI-double.
 
Following back-to-back base hits to open the contest by Ehland and Kozarian, Trueman plated The Rock's first runs of the day with a two-run double before eventually scoring off another Rock double courtesy of Bubash.
 
SRU's big inning continued with yet another double as Olson scored Bubash to make it a 4-0 game before Mansfield pitcher Justin Marykwas was able to get out of the inning.
 
Mansfield would cut into The Rock's lead when Jacob Houtz hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first only for SRU to respond in the second as Ehland belted a one-out solo shot of his own to stretch Slippery Rock's lead to 5-2.
 
The Rock closed out the win as Trueman and Bubash both slugged home runs late, with Trueman's being of the two-run variety, while Ehland drove in two more as well all the while starting pitcher Eoin Rossman settled in following the second to toss 3.2 consecutive shutout innings before giving way to Jake Norris who finished off the victory.
 
Rossman (2-0) earned the win after scattering three runs on five hits and three walks over 5.2 innings of work to go with three strikeouts. Norris did not allow a run in 1.1 innings pitched out of SRU's bullpen.
 
Marykwas took the loss for Mansfield after giving up five runs on six hits in two innings pitched.
 
GAME TWO: SRU 5 – MU 1
Slippery Rock continued its home run spree combined with a great day on the mound by Herr and Mark Wilbur to finish off a sweep of Mansfield with a 5-1 victory in game two.
 
While SRU was limited to six hits in game two, half landed over Mansfield's outfield fence as Trueman and Ehland once again homered with Robenolt joining the duo as well.
 
Trueman went 2-for-3 with one run, one home run and one RBI in game two. Ehland's home run came with a man on for a two-RBI game. Bubash and Colin Cain had one hit apiece while Kozarian and Ross, who had one RBI, each drew a walk.
 
Making his second start of the season, Herr improved to 3-0 after giving up only one run on seven hits with three strikeouts in a season-long 5.1 innings of work. Wilbur entered the game in the sixth with SRU clinging to a 3-1 lead and registered the game's final four outs for the save, his second of the year.
 
With game in a scoreless tie midway through the contest, The Rock's bats picked up where they left off from game one as Trueman and Robenolt blasted back-to-back home runs to give SRU a 2-0 lead through three-and-a-half innings.
 
Herr maintained his shutout for one more inning before Mansfield finally got to The Rock's starter as David Kilroy led off the fifth with a double before later scoring on a Ryan Scott single to cut SRU's lead in half to 2-1.
 
However, Herr limited damage be bouncing back from Scott's hit to get out of the inning with a runner stranded on third and SRU still in possession of a one-run advantage. The Rock went on to get their run back the following inning as Ross drove in Kozarian from third.
 
Herr recorded one out in the sixth, but Mansfield forced him from the contest in favor of Wilbur after a walk and Harold Ivery double put runners in scoring position.
 
The high-leverage situation did not faze Wilbur, who promptly took the mound and forced Alan Bautista to lineout to Bubash, who swiftly made a throw to Kozarian at second base before Ivery could make it back to the bag for an inning-ending out.
 
Any thoughts of a Mansfield comeback were further put to rest in the seventh thanks to Ehland's two-run home run and three quick outs by Wilbur to close out a four-run win.
 
Houtz (0-4) was the pitcher of record for Mansfield. He gave up two runs in four innings. Scott Poulson threw the final three innings, allowing three runs.
 
Slippery Rock returns to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition with a four-game series against division leader Seton Hill University. The Rock and Griffins play two games Friday at Seton Hill before coming to Critchfield Park for a Saturday doubleheader.
 
 

 
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