SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader against Saint Anselm College Saturday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
The Rock picked up a 5-0 victory in the opener before losing game two, 13-9. Saturday's split moves SRU's record to 7-3 overall while Saint Anselm is now 6-9.
 
Gage Gillott once again led SRU's efforts on the day. He pitched a complete game shutout in the opener followed by a two-double, one-RBI performance from the plate in game two. Gillott has now pitched back-to-back complete games and is 3-0 in four starts on the mound this season all the while hitting .409.
 
Five Rock batters collected hits in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader led by Joey Purcell, who went a combined 5-for-7 over the two games with one run scored, four RBI and a walk.
 
Michael Kitko went 3-for-7 on the day with one run, one home run and three RBI. His home run was the first of his collegiate career. Koby Bubash also launched a home run as part of a two-hit, three-run, three-RBI, three-walk doubleheader.
 
Rounding out The Rock's top offensive performers against Saint Anselm with one hit and one RBI in each game was Robby Barrientos and Cam Panyko Morris. Both of Barrientos' hits were of the extra base variety with a double and a triple.

GAME ONE: SRU 5 – STA 0 (7 innings)
The Rock earned a 5-0 victory over the Hawks in game one as Gillott was once again strong on the mound while Purcell and Kitko supplied the offense en route to the win.
 
Gillott rarely found himself in danger Saturday. He allowed baserunners into scoring position in just three of his seven innings pitched: Gillott worked out of a bases loaded jam in the third inning unscathed followed by stranding runners on second and third in the fourth while a Hawk took second on defensive indifference in the seventh prior to the game-ending out.
 
While Gillott kept the Saint Anselm bats in check, Purcell and Kitko produced all the offense SRU needed in the opener.
 
Purcell registered a two-run single in the second inning. Kitko then launched his two-run home run to left field in the fifth. Purcell added a final insurance run in the form of an RBI-single in the sixth.  
 
Gillott finished his outing with six strikeouts and four hits allowed.
 
Purcell and Kitko both went 2-for-3. Purcell tallied three RBI and Kitko drove in two off his home run. Panyko Morris, Bubash, Barrientos and Eddie Morris collected one hit apiece with Bubash and Morris each drawing one walk as well.
 
Dallas Vaughn (0-4) gave up four runs over 4.2 innings for Saint Anselm. Andrew Macdonald pitched the final 1.1 innings out of the bullpen for the Hawks.

GAME TWO: STA 13 – SRU 9 (9 innings)
Offense was plentiful for both teams in game two, but Slippery Rock was ultimately unable to polish off the sweep in a 13-9 loss to Saint Anselm.
 
Slippery Rock matched a season-high with 13 hits in game two while its seven extra-base hits were a team season-best and the nine runs scored marked SRU's second highest output of the year.
 
However, SRU also surrendered opponent season-highs in runs, hits (14) and home runs (three) to go with six walks.  
 
Nine of the 11 Rock hitters to record an at-bat had at least one hit in game two. Purcell paced the pack, turning in a 3-for-4, one-run, one-RBI, one-walk showing at the plate.
 
Gillott had two hits, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two runs and one RBI. In his first collegiate start, Brett Galcik was also 2-for-5 with two runs.
 
In addition to walking twice, Bubash launched a three-run home run. Kitko, Panyko Morris, Barrientos, Darryn Callahan and Sam Muetzel each posted a hit with Barrientos' being at triple. Panyko Morris and Muetzel achieved their hits by way of doubles. Muetzel's extra-base hit represented his first in a Rock uniform.
 
SRU used five pitchers in the nightcap. Parker Hogge got the start and lasted five innings with five runs allowed on four hits and four walks before giving way to Robert Herr, who surrendered two solo home runs in the sixth inning.
 
Mark Wilbur Jr. came on for Herr in the seventh. He recorded two outs, but gave up three runs before being relieved in favor of Nate Malak. In what was his first appearance of the season, Malak pitched 1.1 innings and surrendered three runs. Gino Marra pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out the day.
 
In what was a back-and-forth contest for the early and middle stages of the game, Bubash pulled The Rock into a 7-7 tie with Saint Anselm in the sixth inning courtesy of a three-run homer that landed well over the Critchfield Park scoreboard in right field.
 
However, the Hawks went on to pull away in game's later stages when  back-to-back three-run innings in the seventh and eighth proved too much to overcome. SRU could only counter with one-run frames in the seventh via a Barrientos RBI-triple and a final score in the ninth when Galcik scored off a wild pitch on the way to an eventual four-run defeat.
 
The Saint Anselm duo of Brenden Harris and Dan Scolaro combined to go 4-for-6 with five runs, seven RBI and two home runs in the Hawks' victory.
 
Slippery Rock and Saint Anselm will decide the series in a nine-inning game 11 a.m. Sunday at Jack Critchfield Park.





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