Messer Field Dedication Photo Gallery  |  Game Photo Gallery
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University baseball team recorded a pair of key Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victories over Clarion to close out a series sweep of the Golden Eagles on a monumental day at Critchfield Park.
 
The Rock took game one from Clarion, 5-2, followed by a 7-3 victory in the nightcap. Saturday's wins, combined with Friday's doubleheader sweep, gives Slippery Rock its first PSAC West series sweep of the season, improving its record to 27-15 overall and 13-11 inside the division.
 
Entering the final week of the regular season, Slippery Rock is now tied with California for fourth place in the PSAC West standings. The Rock and Vulcans are 4.5 games ahead of sixth-place Clarion and just one game behind third-place IUP.
 
The top five teams in the PSAC West standings at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the upcoming PSAC Tournament May 6-9 at Critchfield Park.
 
Prior to Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Clarion, Slippery Rock University honored head coach – and American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer - Jeff Messer with a field dedication at Critchfield Park. Slippery Rock's home facility will now officially be known as "Messer Field at Jack Critchfield Park".
 
In similar fashion to Friday's wins over the Golden Eagles, Slippery Rock once again received strong pitching performances on the mound combined with timely hitting to secure the sweep.
 
Starting pitchers Parker Hogge and Zachary Hare combined to go 7.2 innings with just three runs allowed and 12 total strikeouts. Freshmen relief pitchers Nolan Comerford and Tyler Slone each registered wins out of SRU's bullpen as Comerford threw 2.2 shutout innings in the opener while Slone scattered two runs in 3.2 innings in game two.
 
Offensively, Max Bernadowski was a near perfect 4-for-5 at the plate over the doubleheader with three runs scored, two RBIs and a walk. Morgen Billotte and Clay Wiesen also enjoyed strong days at the plate. Billotte went 3-for-5 with three runs and a walk with Wiesen going 3-for-6 with one run and a walk.

GAME 1: SRU 5 – CLARION 2
W: Nolan Comerford (1-2)
L: Braden Fetherolf (1-4)
 
A clutch pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning by Darryn Callahan spurred on a late comeback for The Rock in their 5-2 game one victory.
 
Trailing 2-1 with two outs in the sixth inning, Callahan entered the game with Wiesen and Michael Kitko on base after the duo singled and walked earlier in the inning. On a 1-1 count, Callahan drove a towering home run well over the right field wall to give Slippery Rock its first lead since the opening inning.
 
The big frame continued following Callahan's homer as Billotte and Gage Gillott drew back-to-back walks before Bernadowski shot a base hit up the middle to score Billotte and give The Rock a three-run advantage.
 
While Clarion's leadoff hitter in the seventh did reach base after being hit by a pitch, Comerford calmly retired the next three batters in order via a pair of strikeouts and a game-ending fly out that was tracked down by a diving Billotte.
 
Callahan's go-ahead home run was his fifth of the season which also upped his RBI total to 32. Bernadowski was the lone Rock batter to record a multi-hit game in the opener, going 2-for-3 with one run, one RBI, a double and a walk.
 
Kitko and Billotte both reached base twice on matching 1-for-2, one-run, one-walk stat lines.
 
Hogge pitched 4.1 innings in the start, allowing just two runs on four hits and three walks while posting four strikeouts. Comerford earned his first collegiate victory with 2.2 shutout innings.

GAME 2: SRU 7 – Clarion 3
W: Tyler Slone (3-0)
L: Aiden Hartle (0-3)
 
SRU scored four runs over the opening two innings, taking a lead it would never surrender in a series-ending 7-3 win.
 
The freshmen pitching duo of Hare and Slone worked their ways out of several potential scoring threats by Clarion to allow just the three runs while combining for 13 strikeouts.
 
Hare, who carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning, threw 3.1 innings on the way striking out eight batters and giving up just one run on one hit and five walks. Slone came on for Hare in the fourth and proceeded to toss the final 3.2 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits all the while tallying five strikeouts.
 
Clarion left 11 runners on base in the loss, including at least one stranded runner in each inning.
 
Offensively, Slippery Rock produced 11 hits. The quartet of Bernadowski (2-for-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 walk), Billotte (2-for-3, 2 runs), Wiesen (2-for-3, one walk) and Treston Nemeth (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) all collected multi-hit performances.
 
Gillotte, Kitko and Stone Powell accounted for the other hits, Gillotte scored one run and drew one walk, while Powell and Kitko each registered one RBI.
 
Slippery Rock plays its final non-conference game of the regular season when it hosts Point Park for a night game 7 p.m. April 28.





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