INDIANA, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team split a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division road doubleheader Monday at Indiana University (Pa.).
 
The Rock opened the day with a 5-0 shutout victory of the Crimson Hawks before losing game two, 9-4. Slippery Rock exits the road games with a 12-10 overall record and a 2-6 mark inside the PSAC West while IUP moves to 12-14 overall and 6-2 in league competition.
 
SRU was led on the day by Luke Trueman, who followed up a dominant complete-game shutout on the mound in game one by hitting his third home run of the season in the nightcap.
 
Braden Olson also had a productive doubleheader, going a combined 4-for-6 at the plate with one run and two RBI.
 
Joey Purcell, Koby Bubash and Alex Robenolt all collected hits in both games Monday with Purcell pacing the trio over the doubleheader at 3-for-5 with two runs, a triple, one walk and a stolen base. Robenolt and Bubash tallied nearly identical lines with two hits, one run and two RBI apiece.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 5 – IUP 0
Trueman took a no-hitter into the sixth inning while The Rock's offense returned to form on the way to a 5-0 Slippery Rock victory over Indiana in the opener.
 
Trueman, who has not allowed more than three runs in any of six starts this season, continued his dominant senior campaign by allowing just one Crimson Hawk baserunner – a two-out walk in the second that he easily maneuvered around - over the opening five innings of Monday's game.
 
With Trueman in firm control on the mound, Slippery Rock's hitters got to work by tallying three runs in the third inning via an RBI-single by Olson and back-to-back run-scoring hits from Bubash and Robenolt.
 
Noah Ross added to The Rock's lead with a solo home run in the fifth inning with Cam Panyko Morris capping off SRU's offensive production by scoring on a passed ball in the sixth to stretch Slippery Rock's lead to 5-0.
 
After being held in check for the majority of the game, IUP threatened in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of hits, but Trueman stranded a pair of runners in scoring position by inducing an inning-ending groundout.
 
Indiana also loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Trueman once again worked his way out of trouble by forcing Au'sean Owens into a game-ending groundout to first base.
 
Trueman earned the complete-game shutout by scattering five hits and walk on 88 pitches to go with five strikeouts as he improved to 4-1 this season.
 
Olson and Purcell both posted two hits in game one with Purcell also walking once and stealing a base while Olson pocketed an RBI. Ross' home run was the first of his collegiate career.
 
IUP used four pitchers over the duration of the contest with Jimmy Tooley (1-4) taking the loss after giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings.
 
GAME TW0: IUP 9 – SRU 4
Slippery Rock was unable to complete the doubleheader sweep as Indiana scored eight consecutive runs over a three-inning stretch to take game two, 9-4.
 
SRU jumped out to an early 3-0 lead through one inning of play only for Indiana to break the game open with five runs in the second followed by one in the third and two more in fourth.
 
Slippery Rock scored once more in the sixth, but IUP would get the run back in the bottom of the inning en route to the five-run victory.
 
The Rock registered nine hits in game two, led by Trueman's 2-for-3, one-run, one-RBI, one-home run day at the plate.
 
Olson also went 2-for-3 with one RBI while the quartet of Purcell, Bubash, Robenolt and Jon Kozarian all totaled hits as well with Kozarian's coming by way of double. Bubash and Robenolt plated one run each.
 
Mark Wilbur (1-1) took the loss for SRU on the mound after giving up five runs on five hits and a walk over 1.1 innings.
 
Michael Kitko replaced Wilbur in the second and went on to pitch 2.2 innings with three runs allowed on three hits and three walks in addition to striking out four Crimson Hawks. Gino Marra then scattered one run and five hits over two innings as SRU's final pitcher Monday.
 
Derrick Shields (2-1) earned the victory for IUP. He went five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. Paul Tripi came on for Shields in the sixth and pitched two shutout innings to close out the game. Peyton Johnson guided the IUP offense with three RBI in the game-two win.
 
Slippery Rock hosts the University of Ashland for a single nine-inning non-conference game 3 p.m. April 4 at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
 
 
 
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