ASHLAND, Ohio - The Slippery Rock University baseball team scored six runs over the final three innings as part of a 9-6 comeback victory over Ashland University Tuesday at Tomassi Stadium in Ashland, Ohio.
 
The non-conference victory improves The Rock's record to 23-15 overall. The host Eagles fall to 28-14.  
 
Trailing by three runs entering the seventh inning, the duo of Stone Powell and Morgen Billotte combined to drive in six runs down the stretch, while the relief pitcher duo of Tyler Slone (2-0) and Nolan Comerford held Ashland without a run in the final three innings en route to the win.
 
Seven Rock athletes combined to rack up 11 hits against Ashland, which entered the day on a seven-game winning streak. SRU has recorded double-digit hit totals in 14 of its last 18 games. The Rock have also now won their last 11 midweek games dating back to the end of 2024.
 
Powell and Billotte each went 2-for-5 with a home run in the victory. Powell also collected four RBIs in addition to taking sole possession of The Rock's 2026 home run lead with seven. On a day in which he hit his first home run of the season, Billotte also scored twice, had two RBIs and produced a double with his other hit.
 
Gage Gillott tallied SRU's other multi-hit game, going 3-for-5 with one run scored and a double.
 
Darryn Callahan collected a pair of RBI, while Treston Nemeth, Max Bernadowski and Mason Raup all reached base twice with one hit and one walk apiece.
 
The Rock used four pitchers Tuesday. Kyle Warnsman made the start, going three innings with four strikeouts and two runs allowed. Michael Cahill was the first arm out of SRU's bullpen, pitching 2.1 innings with three runs surrendered before turning the game over to Slone in the sixth.
 
Slone pitched 2.2 innings, giving up one run and striking out two batters on the way to his second victory of 2026. Nolan Comerford took over the ninth inning and worked around a hit and a walk to pitch a scoreless frame for his third save.

Ashland scored a pair of runs in the first inning before, Warnsman settled in and pitched consecutive scoreless frames to give SRU the opportunity to get back into the contest.
 
Slippery Rock's first run of the day came in the second inning when Ashland pitcher Brody Saunders was able to work out of a no-out, bases loaded jam with surrendering just one run that came on a Callahan RBI.
 
The fourth inning saw Clay Wiesen draw a leadoff walk followed directly by Bernadowski connecting on The Rock's first hit of the day. A proceeding wild pitch put Wiesen and Bernadowski into scoring position before a Callahan groundout and a Raup looping single scored both runners, giving The Rock a 3-2 advantage.
 
The lead proved brief as Ashland parlayed two hits off Cahill, who entered the game in the top of the inning for Warnsman, into the game-tying run before Cahill stranded a pair of runners with an inning-ending strikeout to keep the game in a 3-3 stalemate.  
 
The tie held until the bottom of the sixth inning when Ashland took advantage of a bases-loaded, one-out situation with a two-run double by Collin Overholt and a RBI-single from Ryan Shimek to follow which allowed Ashland to gain a 6-3 lead.
 
Not to be outdone, the back-and-forth game continued a half inning later when Slippery Rock slugged itself back into the game thanks to a Billotte solo home run as well as a two-run shot by Powell.
 
Billotte continued his big day at the plate in the eighth when with Raup on second the speedy centerfielder laced a double down the right field line that easily allowed Raup to score the go-ahead run. Powell proceeded to provide The Rock with additional insurance runs later in the inning courtesy of a two-run single that plated Billotte and Gillott - who doubled earlier in the frame – to stretch SRU's lead out to 9-6.
 
Slippery Rock closed out the victory via shutout innings in the eighth and ninth by Slone and Comerford, respectfully.
 
SRU returns to competition this weekend when it opens a pivotal four-game Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division series against Clarion.
 
The Rock and Golden Eagles first play a doubleheader Friday at Pullman Park in Butler, Pennsylvania (1 p.m. / 3:30 p.m.) before SRU hosts Clarion for two games Saturday at Critchfield Park on Messer Field Dedication Day.
 
 


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