Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

Slippery Rock rallied late to win game one 5-4 and then used the long ball to take game two 9-5 in a doubleheader sweep over IUP Friday at Owen Dougherty Field.

IUP dropped to 14-20 overall and 6-8 in the PSAC West. Slippery Rock strengthened its hold on the division lead with a 10-4 record and is 21-11 overall. The teams will wrap up their four-game series Saturday at Slippery Rock, weather permitting.

The Crimson Hawks are tied for fifth in the PSAC West with Lock Haven, two games behind Mercyhurst and one behind California and Clarion in the loss column.

In the first game, IUP took a 4-1 lead into the sixth before the Rock bunched together six singles and scored four times to go in front 5-4. Derek DiRuscia and Jamison Walck had RBI hits before pinch hitter Kevin Jovanovich drove in the tying and go-ahead runs.

Ryan Oglesby came in to relieve starter Zach Jeney and retired the final six IUP batters, including three strikeouts, to secure the win. Chris Douglas (Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan) took the loss for the Crimson Hawks.

IUP had built its three-run lead in the fourth when Frank Sirolli (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) tripled with the bases loaded. The Crimson Hawks scored their other run in the third when Vern Powell (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) singled to tie it at 1.

Adam Jury then powered Slippery Rock to a win in the nightcap with a double, two home runs and five RBIs.

Sirolli drove in four more runs to give him seven RBIs for the day and a team-leading 25 on the year. He had a triple in the first to pull IUP within 2-1 and added a two-run double in the second to give the Crimson Hawks a 3-2 lead.

Jury tied it in the third with a solo homer and the Rock scored twice in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. Sirolli had another RBI in the bottom of the fourth with a groundout to make it a one-run game, and the Crimson Hawks tied it in the fifth but could have had a lot more.

With the bases loaded and no outs, John Kovalik came in to pitch and allowed one run to score on a groundout by Brett Quiggle (Weedville/St. Marys) to tie the game. But Aaron Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) was thrown out at home on the back end of a double steal to prevent IUP from going back in front.

Slippery Rock wasted little time taking the lead back when Jury blasted a two-out, three-run homer off losing pitcher Ben Weimer (New Alexandria/Linsly School), and the Rock added an insurance run in the seventh. Kovalik pitched three hitless innings to earn the win.