SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team closed out its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division series against Indiana University (Pa.) with a doubleheader split Sunday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
The Rock opened the day with a 3-2 victory over Indiana in eight innings before dropping game two, 5-1.
 
Sunday's split combined with The Rock's doubleheader sweep of the Crimson Hawks on Saturday gives SRU the series victory over IUP while improving its record to 16-8 overall and 8-4 inside the PSAC West. Indiana drops to 15-9 overall and 7-5 in league competition.
 
Freshman Brandon Butler went a combined 3-for-6 over the doubleheader with one RBI and a walk. Braden Olson turned in another productive doubleheader, going 2-for-4 with two walks.
 
Koby Bubash managed to reach base five times over both games after compiling a hit and a walk as well as being hit by three pitches.
 
Not only did Michael Kitko register two hits, score two runs and produce his team-best 17th RBI of the season Sunday, he also pitched 1.1 shutout innings as a relief pitcher in game one to improve his record to a perfect 3-0 on the year.
 
GAME ONE: SRU 3 – IUP 2 (8 Innings)
The Rock continued to be at their best in close games with a 3-2 extra-inning victory over IUP in the opener. Slippery Rock is now 10-3 in contests decided by three runs or less in 2024.
 
Starting pitchers Joey Purcell and Jake Black (3-3) traded scoreless innings over the first half of the contest as the game went into the bottom of the fifth in a 0-0 tie.
 
Darryn Callahan led off The Rock's portion of the fifth with a single while moving around to third courtesy of a Robby Barrientos sacrifice bunt and an Olson single. Cam Panyko Morris proceeded drive a flyout to centerfield that proved deep enough for Callahan to score the game's inaugural run.
 
Slippery Rock went on to register another run an inning later thanks to a Butler hit that drove in Kitko and sent SRU into the seventh leading 2-0.
 
However, the Crimson Hawks were finally able to get to Purcell in the seventh by loading the bases with two singles while also drawing a walk to bring Harrison Pontoli to the plate with two outs. IUP's veteran second baseman promptly delivered two-run single to tie the game.
 
Kitko was brought in from right field to pitch in place of Purcell following Pontoli's hit. He got out of the inning without allowing further damage to maintain the tie.
 
Slippery Rock was retired in order in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings where Kitko worked around a one-out single to get out of the eighth inning unharmed and bring SRU's bats back to the plate.
 
After throwing the shutout inning on the mound, Kitko went on to reach base via a fielder's choice in the bottom of the frame to represent the game-winning run with one out. Kitko moved to second off a Bubash single before taking third on a passed ball.
 
Butler was then intentionally walked to bring Noah Ross, who pinch hit for Callahan, to the plate with the bases loaded. On a 1-1 count, Ross hit fly ball to right-center that was hauled by IUP's Au'Sean Owens, but easily allowed Kitko to score from third base for the walk-off sacrifice fly.
 
In addition to scoring two runs and supplying SRU with a hit, Kitko also picked up the win on the mound courtesy of his 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.
 
Purcell once again turned in a great start with five strikeouts and just the two runs allowed on six hits and two walks in 6.2 innings. He has pitched at least six innings in all five of his starts this season.
 
Butler went 2-for-3 with one RBI and walk. Olson, Callahan, Bubash, Kitko, Gillott and Eddie Morris recorded one-hit games each with Olson also walking once and Gillott stealing a base.
 
GAME TWO: IUP 5 – SRU 1
Indiana managed to avoid the series sweep with a 5-1 victory in game two.
 
Parker Hogge (2-3) was the pitcher of record for SRU after giving up four runs, two of which were earned, on four hits and three walks while striking out five batters.
 
Out of SRU's bullpen, Gino Marra allowed one run in one inning before giving way to Mark Wilbur Jr., who pitched two shutout innings to finish out the game.
 
Bubash reached base three times in the nightcap thanks to one walk in addition to being hit by a pitch twice.
 
Ross and Olson were the only other Rock batters to reach base twice in the loss. The duo each had a hit and a walk.
 
Kitko and Butler accounted for SRU's remaining hits with Kitko tallying an RBI.
 
After giving up two runs in the top of the first, Slippery Rock cut its early deficit in half with a score of its own in the bottom half of the inning via a run-scoring single from Kitko that plated Purcell, who led off the frame by being hit by a pitch before eventually advancing to third in his only appearance on the basepaths Sunday.
 
However, SRU's comeback bid ended there as Indiana went on to post a pair runs in the third inning after a Pontoli two-run home run while adding a final insurance run in the fifth inning.
 
Slippery Rock meanwhile was limited to just three hits and three walks over the final six innings by the Crimson Hawk pitching duo of Nathan Mnkoski (2-0) and Dane Samartino on the way to a four-run win.
 
Mankoski went five innings in the victory, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk. Samartino pitched two shutout innings of relief to close out the victory.
 
Slippery Rock hosts Mansfield University for a non-conference doubleheader April 9 at Critchfield Park. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1 p.m.





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