SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader against West Virginia State University Friday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
The Rock earned a 4-2 victory in the opener before WVSU salvaged the day with a doubleheader split via a 5-2 victory in game two. Friday's results move SRU's record to 6-2 overall while West Virginia State exits the day at 6-7.
 
Slippery Rock was led Friday by the duo of Cam Panyko Morris and Gage Gillott.
 
Panyko Morris hit two home runs over the doubleheader and drove in five of The Rock's six runs scored on the day while Gillott picked up a complete-game victory in the opener followed by a 3-for-3 performance at the plate in the nightcap.
 
Through eight games this season, Panyko Morris is now batting .333 with two home runs, six runs scored and nine RBI.
 
Gillott appears well poised to be The Rock's next two-way star as he is 2-0 on the mound with a 1.59 ERA and a .206 opponent batting average over 17 innings pitched all the while batting .412 at the plate.

GAME ONE: SRU 4 – WVSU 2
A first-inning home run by Panyko Morris combined with a dominant outing on the mound by Gillott led to a 4-2 SRU victory in the opener over the Yellow Jackets.
 
Slippery Rock posted the first runs of the day when Koby Bubash and Tyler Cerame reached base in the first inning in back-to-back at-bats by way of a single and a walk to give SRU two runners on and one out.
 
Yellow Jacket starting pitcher Ayden Hodges briefly bounced back with a strikeout of Noah Ross, but couldn't get out of the inning unscathed as Panyko Morris proceeded to step to the plate and launch the second pitch he saw from Hodges deep over the left field wall for the three-run home run.
 
The big first inning was all Gillott needed. After working out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning, WVSU did get to Gillott for two runs in the third. However, the remainder of the game belonged to The Rock's hurler who allowed just one hit over the final four innings en route to the win.
 
While it ultimately was not needed, SRU's offense did provide Gillott with an insurance run in the sixth courtesy of an RBI-double from Robby Barrientos that plated Eddie Morris, who struck a double of his own earlier in the inning.  
 
Gillott (2-0) closed his first complete-game of the season with seven strikeouts while giving up just four hits, a walk and the two runs.
 
Barrientos and Michael Kitko each went 2-for-3 in the opener. Morris also reached base twice with his double and a walk. Panyko Morris and Bubash had one hit apiece with Panyko Morris' coming by way of his homer.
 
Hodges (1-2) was the pitcher of record for WVSU. He gave up three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. Cameron Lewis allowed the final Rock run in his one inning pitched out of West Virginia State's bullpen.

GAME TWO: WVSU 5 – SRU 2
The Yellow Jackets were able to avoid the doubleheader sweep with a 5-2 win in game two.
 
Panyko Morris once again hit a home run in game two for what was his third shot of the season.
 
Gillott complimented his great pitching performance in game one by producing a 3-for-3, one-run showing from the plate. Ross and Brandon Butler provided SRU with hits as well while Joey Purcell rounded out SRU's top hitters with a walk.
 
Slippery Rock used three pitchers in game two. Parker Hogge (1-1) got the start and went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters.
 
Robert Herr came on for Hogge in the fifth and pitched 1.1 innings while surrendering two runs on two hits and a walk. Herr gave way to Kitko, who threw 1.2 scoreless innings to finish out the day.
 
Trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second, Slippery Rock took its first lead of the game after Gillott led off the frame with a single which paved the way to Panyko Morris delivering another home run to left field.
 
SRU maintained its advantage for one more inning, but West Virginia State re-took the lead with two runs in the fourth before tacking on back-to-back one run frames in the fifth and sixth to stretch its lead out to 5-2.
 
As they have already done so many times this season, Slippery Rock seemed poised for a late rally when Ross and Gillott led off the sixth with back-to-back singles. However, Yellow Jacket pitcher Chris Morris worked out of trouble by forcing three consecutive flyouts to get out of the inning unharmed.
 
Purcell walked to lead off the seventh, but any thoughts of a fourth walk-off win of the season were dashed as Morris induced a double play followed by a game-ending ground out to finish off the three-run win.
 
Morris (1-1) earned the complete-game victory after scattering six hits and one walk over seven innings while striking out five Rock batters in addition to hitting a home run of his own. Mike Huber also homered in the win for WVSU.
 
Slippery Rock and West Virginia State will decide the series with a single nine-inning game 12 p.m. Saturday at Critchfield Park.







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