LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team opened its four-game Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division series against Lock Haven with a doubleheader sweep of the Bald Eagles on the road Friday at Watkins Field.
 
SRU took the opener from Lock Haven, 8-4, before closing out the sweep with a victory in the nightcap. The two wins bolster The Rock's record to 20-11 overall and 9-5 in the PSAC West. Lock Haven drops to 12-21 overall and 2-11 in league competition following the sweep.
 
A quartet of Rock batters collected three hits over the doubleheader with Stone Powell leading the way. SRU's talented freshman first baseman went 3-for-5 with five runs scored, a double and two walks during the two games.
 
Brandon Butler was a combined 3-for-7 over the doubleheader with three runs and a walk. Two of his three hits were doubles.
 
Clay Wiesen and Tyler Cerame were both 3-for-8 on the day with Wiesen driving in five runs and Cerame pocking three RBIs of his own thanks in part to two doubles.

GAME ONE: SRU 8 – LHU 4
SRU got out to a quick start on the way to an 8-4 series-opening road victory in game one.
 
Slippery Rock sent 11 batters and plated seven runs in what was its highest-scoring inning of the season to begin Friday's doubleheader. The big opening frame was highlighted by the trio of Cerame, Wiesen and Gage Gillott – all of whom collected two RBIs on hits with Cerame's coming by way of a double.  
 
SRU added another run in the second when Michael Kitko, who walked and advanced to third via a Butler single, took home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Powell to make it an 8-0 contest.
 
The early eight-run advantage was more than enough for starting pitcher Nate Malak, who outside of a three-run fourth inning cruised to his third complete game of the season as part of an eventual 8-4 victory.
 
Aiding Gillott, Cerame and Wiesen at the plate in game one was Kitko, who went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a pair of walks.
 
Butler, Powell and Treston Nemeth all had one-hit, one-run games as well with Butler also reaching base once courtesy of a walk. Cam Panyko Morris reached base twice on two walks while scoring one run as well.
 
Malak went the distance after scattering four runs – three of which were earned – on five hits and three walks to go with three strikeouts on 93 pitches. He is now 5-0 on the year with a .233 opponent batting average and 48 strikeouts through 43.2 innings pitched.
 
LHU starter Garrett Starr (5-4) took the loss on the mound after allowing seven runs in one inning pitched. Relievers Brady Myers and Mason Curtier came on for Starr and combined to give up one run over the final six innings.

GAME TWO: SRU 8 - LHU 2
Slippery Rock finished off the sweep at Lock Haven with a quality 8-2 victory in game two.
 
Jimmy Sadler led the way offensively for The Rock, going 1-for-2 with four RBI and a double. Wiesen enjoyed a multi-RBI performance as well by driving in three on a 2-for-4 showing.
 
Powell scored four of SRU's runs all the while going 2-for-2 with a double and two walks. Butler and Cerame both went 2-for-4 with Butler scoring twice and both of his hits being of the double variety while Cerame tallied one run, one RBI and a double.
 
Rounding out the top performers at the plate in game two was Gillott, who reached base twice on a single and walk.
 
On the mound, Hunter Loomis and Mark Wilbur combined for a solid seven innings of work. Loomis logged the win, improving to 3-1, after giving up just two runs on four hits and four walks before giving way to Wilbur who recorded his fourth save of the year after entering the game in a high-leverage situation and pitching 1.1 shutout innings.
 
Consecutive singles by Powell and Cerame followed later in the inning by a Panyko Morris walk set the stage for Sadler in the second. Sadler capitalized on the situation by belting a bases-clearing double to right-center to once again give SRU an early multi-run advantage over the Bald Eagles.
 
Lock Haven and Slippery Rock proceeded to trade one-run innings in the third and fourth, with LHU's tally coming from a Rock balk only for SRU to push its lead back to three runs when Sadler netted his fourth RBI of the contest with a sacrifice fly that plated Powell.
 
The Rock closed out the sweep with four insurance runs over the final three innings combined with Wilbur escaping a two-on, two-out jam in the sixth when the potential game-tying run was on deck followed by a perfect seventh inning for the 8-2 victory.
 
Jason Labrador was charged with the loss for Lock Haven. He gave up six runs on seven hits and three walks in five innings. Evan Schmelz pitched a scoreless inning of relief and Rylan Bailey allowed two runs out of LHU's bullpen to end the day.
 
Slippery Rock and Lock Haven will complete their series with a doubleheader Saturday at Critchfield Park. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.





To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).