SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader Thursday against Clarion at Critchfield Park.
 
Following a 4-3 loss in the opener, Slippery Rock recorded an impressive 7-1 win in game two to earn the split. SRU exits the day with a 20-23 overall record and a league mark of 5-17 while the Golden Eagles move to 12-31 overall and 4-18 inside the PSAC West.
 
Joseph Ehland and Luke Trueman produced nearly identical stat lines over the doubleheader as both outfielders went 3-for-7 with one run and one RBI on the afternoon with Ehland also walking once and stealing a base while Trueman, who is in the midst of a team-long seven-game hitting streak, had a double.
 
Braden Olson also had a solid two-game stretch, going 2-for-4 with one run, two RBI and a walk. Alex Robenolt collected a hit and a run scored in each game as well to extend his hitting streak to five games.

GAME ONE: Clarion 4 – SRU 3
The Golden Eagles were able to hold off a late Slippery Rock comeback bid to hold onto a tight 4-3 victory over The Rock in the opener.
 
Trailing 2-0 after three innings, Slippery Rock's offense came alive in the fourth via back-to-back doubles by Robenolt and Bubash. Robenolt then scored on a wild pitch followed by Colin Cain plating Bubash with a sacrifice fly to pull SRU even with Clarion at 2-2.
 
However, following a scoreless fifth inning, Lenny Piccini launched a two-run home run for what proved to be the game-winning runs in the sixth.
 
While Robby Barrientos was able to pull The Rock to within one run via an RBI-single in the bottom half of the sixth that scored Noah Ross, Clarion ultimately held on for the close win as reliever Riley Palmer (1-2) was able to strand the would-be game-tying run at second in the seventh inning with two final outs to preserve the victory.
 
Joey Purcell (1-6) got the start for Slippery Rock and allowed four runs on six hits and two walks over 5.1 innings pitched before giving way to Mark Wilbur, who threw 1.2 scoreless innings with just one hit surrendered in relief.
 
Six different Rock athletes accounted for hits in the opener. Robenolt and Bubash both slugged doubles while Ehland, Trueman, Olson and Barrientos all secured base hits.

GAME TWO: SRU 7 – Clarion 1
Parker Hogge (1-2) provided Slippery Rock with a great outing on the mound while SRU's bats posted six runs over the opening three innings on the way to a 7-1 victory in game two.
 
In what was just the second start of his collegiate career, Hogge worked around five hits and four walks to give up only one run in a complete-game victory. Hogge also struck out a season-best seven hitters in the win.
 
The top three hitters in The Rock's batting order – Ehland, Jon Kozarian and Trueman – went a combined 6-for-10 with three runs and two RBI in game two as all three finished with two-hit, one-run games. At the bottom of the batting order, Olson drove in two runs.
 
SRU opened their half of the first with three straight hits, capped off by a run-scoring double from Trueman. Bubash brought in the second run of the game by way of a sacrifice fly while The Rock went on to take advantage of two walks and two batters being hit by pitches throughout the remainder of the first to tally a pair of additional runs.
 
Slippery Rock further added to its lead in the third thanks to back-to-back RBI by Olson and Ehland. The Rock and Golden Eagles traded runs in the fourth, but Hogge allowed just two runners into scoring position – neither making past second - the rest of the game en route to the six-run victory.
 
Logan Schlegel (0-2) took the loss after giving up six runs, five earned, on four hits, three walks and three hit batters. Griffin Snyder was on the mound for the final 3.1 innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks.
 
Pennsylvania State Representative Parke Wentling, his Chief of Staff Joshua Bashline and PA Representative Marla Brown's Chief of Staff Jaclyn Thompson presented SRU assistant coach Bob Mitcheltree with a citation at today's game in recognition of his coaching service on both the collegiate and high school levels over his outstanding career.
 
Slippery Rock and Clarion are currently scheduled to close out their four-game series with a doubleheader at Clarion Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.




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