SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University baseball team returned to its winning ways with a 5-0 shutout victory over Walsh University Tuesday at Critchfield Park.
 
The non-conference win improves The Rock's record to 11-8 in 2026, while the visiting Cavaliers leave SRU at 8-13. Slippery Rock used six pitchers to earn its first shutout of the season. Offensively, SRU produced 13 hits – its third highest single-game total of the year. Of the 13 hits, five went for extra bases.
 
Stone Powell led a quartet of Rock batters that collected multi-hit games against Walsh by going 3-for-4 with one run scored, one home run, two RBIs and a walk. The home run was Powell's second of the year.
 
Leadoff hitter Gage Gillott recorded a pair of doubles as part of a 2-for-4, two-run, one-walk day at the plate and Michael Kitko went 2-for-3 with one run, one RBI and a triple. Jake Robinson, who has now reached base in 13 straight games, also went 2-for-4.
 
Darryn Callahan extended his team-best reached base streak to 15 games by launching his third home run of the season, a towering solo shot down the right field line in the first inning.
 
Brandon Butler, Luke Anderton and Landon Hamer accounted for The Rock's other three hits. Clay Wiesen also walked once and stole a base.
 
Kyle Warnsman (2-0) made his first start of the season, striking out three while scattering three hits and two walks over three innings before giving way to Nolan Comerford, who did not surrender a hit in his two innings of work that included two strikeouts.
 
Owen Malak and Tyler Slone each pitched one inning as well followed by Carter Wilson recording two outs in the eighth before giving way to Joey Vanzin who silenced a potentially serious Walsh comeback bid by registering a clutch strikeout with the bases loaded before working out of another bases loaded jam in the ninth to close out the win.
 
Slippery Rock had a loud start to the day as Kitko sparked a big first inning with a one-out standup triple followed by back-to-back home runs from Powell and Callahan to give The Rock an early 3-0 advantage.
 
SRU added another run in the second after Gillott hit a two-out double to right field and promptly scored courtesy of a Kitko RBI-single.
 
The duo of Warnsman and Comerford kept the Walsh offense largely in check through five innings. While the Cavaliers were able to produce one hit and two walks in both the sixth and seventh innings, Slippery Rock kept the shutout together thanks in large part to a pair of crucial double plays.
 
After Vanzin got out of the bases loaded jam in the eighth, Slippery Rock tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the frame when Gillott scored on a Walsh error to make it a 5-0 game heading into the ninth where Vanzin once again got out of trouble en route to the non-conference win.
 
Walsh starter Brayden Smigel (1-1) was the pitcher of record for the Cavaliers. He gave up four runs on seven hits in three innings. Brody Acres and Josh Algarin each went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk to pace the WU bats.
 
Slippery Rock returns to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition with a weekend series against Pitt-Johnstown. The Rock travels to UPJ Friday before hosting the Mountain Cats for a doubleheader Saturday at Critchfield Park. First pitch on both days is set for 1 p.m.




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