Rock splits with Seton Hill
SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock University baseball team has already dropped eight one-run games and one 20-run game this season.
The eight close losses came on a trip to Florida. The 20-0 loss came against Gannon just two days ago.
But against nationally ranked Seton Hill University on a warm Wednesday afternoon at Critchfield Park, SRU baseball coach Jeff Messer finally saw an inkling of the team he thought he'd have this season.
SRU dropped the first game to the Griffins, 5-1, but bounced back for a 4-3 win in the second game.
It was only the second one-run victory of the season — a trouble spot for The Rock.
“We've had trouble in one-run games, have we?” Messer joked. “I think coming off the
bad game against Gannon the other day ... it was a huge win.”The Rock (9-13) has now taken two-out-of-three games from Seton Hill (16-5), which entered the doubleheader ranked in the Top 20 in all three national polls.“The biggest thing was just to play good baseball before we go to Lock Haven (Friday),” Messer said. “If we had lost this game in the late innings like we have ... it was just good that we didn't.”It looked like The Rock would blow the seventh-inning lead, however.Seton Hill got runners on first and third with one out, but SRU closer John Kovalik got a strikeout and weak grounder to first to preserve the 4-3 win.It was the second save of the season for Kovalik.“I think Kovalik is getting into a role, sort of like (Ryan) Oglesby last year,” Messer said, referring to Oglesby's 1.84 ERA and seven saves as a quasi-closer in 2011.Nic McCowin picked up the win for SRU.Mars graduate D.J. Cannon got the loss for Seton Hill.In the first game, Seton Hill jumped out early on Rock starter Anton Constantino with runs in the first and second innings, including a solo home run by Jackson Boyd.Constantino gave up two more runs in the fourth and was charged with another run to finish his day with five earned runs in five innings pitched.Brad Schnelle got the win for Seton Hill.Even after the win, Seton Hill coach Marc Marizzaldi was not happy.He spent 15 minutes yelling at his team in a huddle between games.“We have a philosophy that we adopted this year that we turn off the scoreboard when we play,” Marizzaldi said. “We're more focused on us playing up to our own ability rather than trying to beat our opponents. We have some pretty high standards.”Butler graduate and Seton Hill freshman Cody Herald had a big day.He drove in two runs off of Constantino in the first game with a single and added two more hits and an RBI in the nightcap.Herald batted in the clean-up spot in the second game.SRU will head to Lock Haven Friday for a doubleheader.
Game 1Seton Hill 110 201 0 — 5 8 2SRU 000 100 0 — 1 6 1W: Brad Schnelle 5.1 IP (3K, 2BB).
L: Anton Constantino 5 IP (2K, 5BB).
Seton Hill: Jackson Boyd HR RBI; Cody Herald 1B 2-RBI, Brendan Costantino 2B, Mike Levisuer 2B
SRU: Lee Foxton 2-1B, Will Kengor 1B RBI
Game 2Seton Hill 100 020 0 — 3 9 1SRU 040 000 x — 4 6 2W: Nic McCowin 4.1 IP (3K, 3BB).
L: D.J. Cannon 4 IP (1K, 3BB).
Seton Hill (16-5) Brendan Costantino 2B 1B RBI; Herald 2-1B RBI, Boyd 2-1B
SRU (9-13): Matt Accardi 1B 2-RBI, Kengor 2-1B RBI
Friday: SRU at Lock Haven, 1 p.m. (doubleheader)
