SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team overcame an early deficit to earn an 8-5 non-conference victory over Walsh University Wednesday at Jack Critchfield Park.
 
The victory improves The Rock's record to 18-11 overall in 2025. Additionally, Wednesday's triumph, combined with a 5-3 road win against the Cavaliers earlier in the year, gives SRU a season sweep of Walsh which is now 9-19 on the season.
 
Leading the way for Slippery Rock against Walsh was Andrew Frye. Making his first collegiate start, Frye went 1-for-3 with a game-high three RBIs and one run scored.
 
On a day in which The Rock produced 10 hits, it was the duo of Stone Powell and Cam Panyko Morris who both collected multi-high afternoons. Panyko Morris went 2-for-3 with one RBI and a walk while Powell was 2-for-4 with two runs and a pair of doubles.
 
Michael Kitko (1-for-2), Clay Wiesen (1-for-2), Tyler Cerame (1-for-3), Brandon Butler (1-for-4) and Treston Nemeth (1-for-4) all had hits as part of a well-rounded team effort at the plate with Nemeth and Cerame both getting theirs via doubles in addition to Cerame also scoring twice.
 
Five Rock pitchers took the mound in the nine-inning game. Reliever Gino Marra (1-0) picked up the win after coming on for starter Joey Vanzin in the second inning and proceeding to allow just one run and striking out three Cavalier batters over the following three innings.
 
Mark Wilbur and Kyle Warnsman both pitched two innings and gave up one run apiece out of SRU's bullpen following Marra's stint. Wilbur tossed three strikeouts while Warnsman fanned one in his collegiate debut.
 
In what was his 44th appearance pitching in a Rock uniform, Robert Herr tossed a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of 2025. Herr is now tied with Justin Thomas (2008-10) for 11th place in program history for career pitching appearances.
 
Slippery Rock found itself trailing 3-1 heading into the middle stages of Wednesday's game before a five-run fourth inning propelled SRU into a lead it never relinquished.
 
Four consecutive Rock batters reached base without a hit to start the decisive frame as two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Wiesen, who was also hit by a pitch for the inning's first run. Frye stepped to the plate following Wiesen's RBI and promptly sent a single through the left side of the infield to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs.
 
SRU scored twice more thanks to RBIs by Nemeth and Gage Gillott before Walsh could get out of the inning with a 6-3 deficit. The Rock added another run the following inning when Frye's sacrifice fly scored Powell, who led off with a double before advancing to third on a Wiesen single.
 
While Walsh would add one-run innings in the sixth and seventh, Slippery Rock countered with a final insurance tally in the bottom of the seventh on a Panyko Morris RBI single before Warnsman and Herr pitched scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively, to close out the win.
 
Eight different pitchers appeared in Wednesday's game for Walsh. Drew Kirila (0-1) was the pitcher of record for WU after giving up three runs in his one inning of work. At the plate, Eli Sutton was 3-for-5 with one run, one home run and three RBIs.
 
Slippery Rock will return to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition with a four-game series against Lock Haven University.
 
The Rock travels for LHU for two games Friday before returning home to host the Bald Eagles in a doubleheader Saturday at Critchfield Park. First pitch of game one on both days is set for 1 p.m.




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