SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Brandon Butler hit for the cycle as part of a 13-9 victory by the Slippery Rock University baseball team against Point Park University Tuesday at Critchfield Park.
 
Slippery Rock improves to 30-15 overall with the non-conference win while Point Park drops to 34-12 following the loss. In addition to giving SRU its first 30-win season since 2022, Tuesday's victory was an important Atlantic Region triumph as The Rock further bolsters its resume for potential NCAA Tournament contention.
 
All six of Slippery Rock's most recent games have come against teams with at least 32 victories in Ashland (33-13), California (32-9) and Point Park (34-12). SRU has won four of those six contests.
 
Headlining The Rock's latest victory was Butler's historic game. The sophomore third baseman became the first SRU athlete to hit for the cycle in the last 16 years, on a day in which he went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
 
In his first at-bat of the game, Butler belted a shot to right-center that bounced at the warning track and off the wall to result in a stand-up triple.
 
After reaching on a fielder's choice in the second inning, Butler's third at-bat was a solo home run to lead off the fourth. He once again led off the sixth, this time shooting a double to right-center.
 
The Spring Church, Pennsylvania native closed out his career-day at the plate in the seventh when he dumped a single into shallow left-center. Butler was just one of the many Rock standouts at the plate on a day in which SRU recorded a season-high 19 hits.
 
Centerfielder Cam Panyko Morris went 4-for-5 with three runs scored a home run - his team-leading fifth of the season – and a stolen base.
 
The trio of Andrew Frye, Gage Gillott and Tyler Cerame all went 2-for-5 as well. Frye compiled four RBIs with both of his hits coming being doubles. Gillott scored twice, drove in one run and earned one walk while extending his hitting streak to 13 games. Cerame also scored once, had an RBI and came away with his Rock-high 13th stolen base of 2025.
 
Michael Kitko, Stone Powell and Clay Wiesen each had one-hit games. Kitko scored twice and tallied one RBI while Powell walked twice and Wiesen scored one run.
 
Four Rock pitchers faced the high-powered Point Park offense. Ethan Edkins (2 IP, 5 Runs) and Robert Herr (3 IP, 3 Runs) opened the game before the duo of Parker Hogge and Gino Marra kept the Pioneers in check.
 
Hogge (1-0) earned the win after pitching 3.1 innings with just one run allowed on three hits to go with four strikeouts. Marra garnered his first save of the year after coming on for Hogge in the ninth inning with the game-tying run on deck as the senior lefty promptly registered the final two outs to seal the win.
 
The Rock and Pioneers scored runs in bunches in the early stages of the game with PPU in possession of an 8-7 lead through five innings before a weather delay just shy of two hours hit.
 
Following the stoppage in play, Hogge and Marra effectively silenced the opposition while SRU's offense remained hot by first scoring the game-tying run in the sixth via a Kitko RBI-double that plated Butler followed by a four-run seventh which gave SRU a lead it would never relinquish.
 
Point Park used six pitchers in the setback. Joey Tedesco (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs in 2.1 innings.
 
With its regular season non-conference schedule complete, Slippery Rock now returns its focus Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition. SRU will play a four-game series against Seton Hill University to conclude the regular season.
 
The Rock will travel to Seton Hill for a doubleheader on Thursday before hosting the Griffins for two games on May 2. First pitch of game one on both days is set for 1 p.m.





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