Shepherd College Athletics

SHEPHERD SWEEPS SLIPPERY ROCK

SLIPPERY ROCK, PA --Shepherd College smacked 20 hits on the day en route to a doubleheader sweep over Slippery Rock in baseball action on Wednesday afternoon at Jack Critchfield Park. Shepherd rallied for a 7-5 win in game one and four Ram pitchers combined on a two-hitter in a 7-1 victory in the nightcap.

Trailing 5-2 in the top of the sixth inning, Shepherd scored five runs on four hits for a come-from-behind win in game one. Jimmy Jackson (Millersville, MD/Old Mill HS) stroked a three-run double to right to key the Ram rally.

Tavis Laws (Stephens City, VA/Sherando/Eastern Mennonite) went 3-for-4 and stole two bases to lead the Rams. Jackson added a 2-for-3 performance and also added a triple. Jason Walck (Waynesboro, PA/ Waynesboro HS) was 1-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs.

Nathan Statzer went 3-for-4 to lead The Rock. Matt Kozusko added a pair of hits and scored two run, while Phil Butch added a two-run triple.

Shepherd reliever Jeff Kirkpatrick (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro HS) improved to 3-0 on the year with the win, while Adam Ritts went the distance and took the loss for The Rock. Charlie Drummond (Strasburg, VA/Strasburg HS) struck out the side in the seventh to gain his third save of the year.

Josh Delawder (Paw Paw, WV/Paw Paw HS/Potomac State), Joe Cook (Leesburg, VA/Loudoun County HS), and Walck each had a pair of hits to lead the Rams in the nightcap.

Leading 2-0, Shepherd broke the game open with four runs in the third. Cook, Shane Wines (Front Royal, VA/Warren County HS), Jon Serrano (Stafford, VA/Brooke Point HS), and Norris Roy (Gambrills, MD/Arundel HS/Hagerstown CC) each had RBI-singles in the six-hit inning.

Drummond belted his 11th home run of the season with a solo blast to left in the first.

Billy Wolfe smacked a solo homer in the seventh for Slippery Rock's only run.

Ram reliever Scott Koscielniak (Severn, MD/Old Mill HS/CCBC-Catonsville) (3-2) was credited with the win, while Joe Petti (0-1) took the loss for The Rock. Ram starter Tony Magnanelli (Frederick, MD/Frederick HS), Koscielniak, Austin Bowie (Paeonian Springs, VA/Loudoun Valley HS), and Steve Kozak (Harpers Ferry, WV/Jefferson HS) combined on a two-hitter for the Rams.

Shepherd improves to 12-13 on the season, while Slippery Rock drops to 20-14. The Rams return to action on Friday when they host West Liberty for a 1:00 p.m. conference doubleheader.

Game One

Shepherd 001 015 0 7 9 2

Slippery Rock 200 210 0 5 9 0

Ritts and Pascarella; McCullough, Coder (3), Kirkpatrick (5), Drummond (7) and Drummond, Serrano (7).

HR: SRU - Kozusko (5th, solo)

WP: Kirkpatrick (3-0)

LP: Ritts (2-2)

Sv: Drummond (3)

Game Two

Shepherd 204 100 0 7 11 3

Slippery Rock 000 000 1 1 2 1

Magnanelli, Koscielniak (3), Bowie (5), Kozak (7), and Drummond; Petti, Rice (3) and Wilson.

HR: SC - Drummond (1st, one on) SRU - Wolfe (7th, solo)

WP: Koscielniak (3-2)

LP: Petti (0-1)