2008 Woodie Awards
Baseball starts season strong in Florida
By Greg Reedy
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 3/18/05 Section: Sports
The Slippery Rock baseball team started off the 2005 season with nine wins and just one loss on its annual spring break trip to Florida.
"We're definitely excited," assistant coach Blaine Brown said. "We didn't play our best baseball and we only had one loss."
Jeff Messer recorded his 600th win against Stonehill on March 4, 12-2 in the second game of a doubleheader sweep. The Rock was energized with eight runs in the third inning to power the win. Chase Rowe went 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
On Saturday, the Rock defeated Merrimack, 9-7. In that game, the Rock faced a 7-3 deficit after three innings but came back with three runs in the fourth, to cut the lead to 7-6. After a run in the fifth tied the game at seven, SRU took the lead in the eighth when Tyler Wilson singled up the middle to drive home Dave Gonos who tripled in the previous at bat. SRU added one more in the ninth to close with the 9-7 win.
SRU bounced back from a 10-1 loss to West Chester the day before. SRU trailed 2-1 after four innings but West Chester put up four runs in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. The Golden Rams add two more runs both in the sixth and the eighth innings to take the 10-1 win. SRU split the two games with West Chester over the stretch in Florida.
Last Thursday, the Rock swept East Stroudsburg in a doubleheader, winning the first game by a score of 7-3, then taking the second game, 4-2. In the first game, SRU had a 4-3 lead after three innings, which remained until the sixth, when SRU added three more runs to take a 7-3 win.
In the second game, the Rock got off to a 4-0 lead, scoring one run in the opening inning, then adding three more runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead. ESU added two in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to overtake the Rock. Rowe went 2 for 4 with one RBI and two runs scored in the win for SRU.
On Monday, March 7, the Rock defeated West Chester 11-10. SRU jumped out to a 9-0 lead after two and a half innings, before the Golden Rams made a furious comeback, scoring three in the bottom half of the third, two more in the fifth and five in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 10, after the Rock added an additional run in its half of the fifth inning. In the 10th inning, J.D. Lowry led off with a single and then the next batter, Phil Butch, reached on an error, moving Lowry to third. Matt Kozusko had a sacrifice fly to bring Lowry home for the go-ahead and eventually game-winning run as the Rock won, 11-10.
"We're definitely excited," assistant coach Blaine Brown said. "We didn't play our best baseball and we only had one loss."
Jeff Messer recorded his 600th win against Stonehill on March 4, 12-2 in the second game of a doubleheader sweep. The Rock was energized with eight runs in the third inning to power the win. Chase Rowe went 2 for 4 with three RBIs.
On Saturday, the Rock defeated Merrimack, 9-7. In that game, the Rock faced a 7-3 deficit after three innings but came back with three runs in the fourth, to cut the lead to 7-6. After a run in the fifth tied the game at seven, SRU took the lead in the eighth when Tyler Wilson singled up the middle to drive home Dave Gonos who tripled in the previous at bat. SRU added one more in the ninth to close with the 9-7 win.
SRU bounced back from a 10-1 loss to West Chester the day before. SRU trailed 2-1 after four innings but West Chester put up four runs in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. The Golden Rams add two more runs both in the sixth and the eighth innings to take the 10-1 win. SRU split the two games with West Chester over the stretch in Florida.
Last Thursday, the Rock swept East Stroudsburg in a doubleheader, winning the first game by a score of 7-3, then taking the second game, 4-2. In the first game, SRU had a 4-3 lead after three innings, which remained until the sixth, when SRU added three more runs to take a 7-3 win.
In the second game, the Rock got off to a 4-0 lead, scoring one run in the opening inning, then adding three more runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead. ESU added two in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to overtake the Rock. Rowe went 2 for 4 with one RBI and two runs scored in the win for SRU.
On Monday, March 7, the Rock defeated West Chester 11-10. SRU jumped out to a 9-0 lead after two and a half innings, before the Golden Rams made a furious comeback, scoring three in the bottom half of the third, two more in the fifth and five in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 10, after the Rock added an additional run in its half of the fifth inning. In the 10th inning, J.D. Lowry led off with a single and then the next batter, Phil Butch, reached on an error, moving Lowry to third. Matt Kozusko had a sacrifice fly to bring Lowry home for the go-ahead and eventually game-winning run as the Rock won, 11-10.
