SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -  The Slippery Rock University baseball team split a doubleheader Sunday against West Virginia State University at Critchfield Park.
 
Following an 11-8 eight-inning loss to the Yellow Jackets in game one of the doubleheader, Slippery Rock responded with a convincing 7-1 victory against WVSU in game two. The split, combined with The Rock's win over the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, gives SRU the home series victory.
 
Slippery Rock exits the weekend with a 7-3 overall record, marking the sixth time in the last seven seasons that SRU has won seven or more games through its first 10 contests of the year. West Virginia State leaves The Rock with a 5-9 record on the year.
 
SRU was led over the doubleheader by the trio of Treston Nemeth, Michael Kitko and Darryn Callahan.
 
Kitko went 3-for-6 at the plate over the doubleheader with three runs scored, one home run, five RBIs and a triple. Nemeth collected a team-best four hits through the course of the afternoon, going 4-for-8 with one run, two RBIs and a walk. Three of his four hits came by way of doubles. Callahan was 3-for-6 with two runs, a solo home run, one stolen base and one walk.
 
Additionally, Gage Gillott extended his hitting streak to a team-best 10 games. Gillott is now hitting .485 on the season overall with a .614 on-base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage to go with eight runs, one home run, nine RBIs and five stolen bases.
 
GAME 1: WVSU 11 – SRU 8 (8 innings)
W: Braylon Moore (1-0)
L: Mark Wilbur (1-1)
 
Slippery Rock appeared poised to take game one of the day, but West Virginia State scored seven unanswered runs over the final three innings as part of an 11-8 WVSU win.
 
SRU registered 11 hits as well as five walks in the setback. Seven of the nine athletes to have an at-bat recorded at least one hit, including Nemeth who went 3-for-5 with one run scored and a pair of doubles.
 
Kitko drove in four runs on a 2-for-3 outing that included two runs, one triple and his first home run of 2026. Luke Anderton also registered a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
 
Gillott reached base four times in game one by way of one hit, two walks and another intentional walk. He also scored one run and stole base.
 
Callahan (1-for-3, 1 run, 1 walk, 1 stolen base), Stone Powell (1-for-4, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 double) and Max Bernadowski (1-for-3, 2 RBIs, 1 double) all had hits as well for The Rock.
 
SRU used four pitchers in game one. Kitko drew the start, going 3.1 innings with four runs allowed and seven strikeouts. Joey Vanzin was the first out of SRU's bullpen with 2.1 innings pitched and three runs yielded to go with three strikeouts.
 
Mark Wilbur (1-1) was the pitcher of record for Slippery Rock after giving up four runs in 1.1 innings. Nolan Comerford tossed a scoreless inning as well.
 
The Rock darted out to a seemingly safe 8-4 lead through the opening five innings only for WVSU to score three runs in the sixth, an extra-inning forcing tally in the seventh followed by three final runs in the eighth to seal the comeback victory.
 
Braylon Moore (1-0) pitched 1.2 shutout innings in relief for West Virginia State to earn the win. Angel Oquendo hit one home run and Brodie Guenther drove in three runs for the Yellow Jackets.
 
GAME 2: SRU 7 – WVSU 1
W: Zachary Hare (1-0)
L: Jared Nethercutt (0-2)
 
Slippery Rock bounced back from the tough loss in the opener in fine fashion with a dominant 7-1 victory in game two.
 
Freshman pitcher Zachary Hare (1-0) earned his first collegiate victory after striking out 10 batters over 4.2 shutout innings all the while surrendering just three hits and two walks.
 
Cole Grady, a normal starter, was used out of the bullpen due to the series being just three games. He pitched 1.1 innings with one run allowed on three hits. Parker Hogge closed out the triumph with two strikeouts in a shutout inning of work.
 
Slippery Rock's nine hits were distributed among seven batters. Callahan (2-for-3, 1 home run) and Morgen Billotte (2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 triple) paced the group with two hits apiece.
 
SRU scored three runs in the first inning thanks to a two-run Nemeth double and an RBI-groundout by Brandon Butler.
 
The Rock poured in four more runs in the fourth on Callahan's solo homer, a run-scoring triple by Billotte, a Kitko RBI and Bernadowski scoring on a WVSU error.
 
The seven runs of support were more than enough for The Rock's trio of hurlers as Hare allowed just three runners into scoring position in his second career start, Grady's lone blemish was a solo home run by Garrett Waoner and Hogge was near perfect in his shutout inning to finish the weekend.  
 
Slippery Rock returns to competition with a four-game series March 14-15 against Mansfield at Critchfield Park.
 
 
 
 
 
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