2008 Woodie Awards
Baseball splits series at UPJ, makes history
By Mike Mallory
Rocket Editor-in-Chief
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Sports
One of the most improbable occurrences in baseball took place when Slippery Rock traveled to the University of Pitt-Johnstown on Tuesday for an afternoon doubleheader.
The Rock turned its first triple play in more than 20 years in the bottom of the third inning of game one. The game concluded with SRU winning 6-2. However, the Rock was shut out in the second half of the doubleheader, falling to UPJ 5-0.
With the score 1-0 in favor of UPJ, the bottom of the third inning started off in a bleak way for the Rock. Pitcher/centerfielder Adam Plummer singled off SRU starter Dan Herisko. Right fielder Adam Fairman hit another single, advancing Plummer to second. First baseman Casey Long followed Fairman, singling in the game's second run in his only hit of the afternoon.
During the next at-bat, UPJ catcher Paul Pentz became part of history. Pentz hit a ground ball to Rock third baseman Todd Schickling, who was able to gun the ball to second baseman Chase Rowe for the out at second, and Rowe threw the ball to first baseman Chris Tolliver for what would have been an easy double play, but shortstop Phil Butch, a bystander on the play, recognized that the runner from third base didn't pick up a very good jump from third. Butch said he was yelling at Tolliver to gun the ball to catcher Brad Wilson, and that's exactly what Tolliver did to record the triple play.
"I'd be surprised if we ever see it again," Butch said.
The Rock scored runs in the top half of the fifth and sixth frames to tie the game, and the teams were nodded up heading into the final inning. That's when SRU decided to go to work on Plummer. The Rock scored four runs off of Plummer, including an RBI double from Tolliver and an RBI single from designated hitter Billy Wolfe off reliever Brian Chruscial, who pitched a third of an inning, surrendering one run and striking out one batter in the seventh.
Wolfe, who at one time posed one of the biggest offensive weapons on the team, has struggled thus far in 2005, but Butch said the team is sticking behind one of its leaders.
The Rock turned its first triple play in more than 20 years in the bottom of the third inning of game one. The game concluded with SRU winning 6-2. However, the Rock was shut out in the second half of the doubleheader, falling to UPJ 5-0.
With the score 1-0 in favor of UPJ, the bottom of the third inning started off in a bleak way for the Rock. Pitcher/centerfielder Adam Plummer singled off SRU starter Dan Herisko. Right fielder Adam Fairman hit another single, advancing Plummer to second. First baseman Casey Long followed Fairman, singling in the game's second run in his only hit of the afternoon.
During the next at-bat, UPJ catcher Paul Pentz became part of history. Pentz hit a ground ball to Rock third baseman Todd Schickling, who was able to gun the ball to second baseman Chase Rowe for the out at second, and Rowe threw the ball to first baseman Chris Tolliver for what would have been an easy double play, but shortstop Phil Butch, a bystander on the play, recognized that the runner from third base didn't pick up a very good jump from third. Butch said he was yelling at Tolliver to gun the ball to catcher Brad Wilson, and that's exactly what Tolliver did to record the triple play.
"I'd be surprised if we ever see it again," Butch said.
The Rock scored runs in the top half of the fifth and sixth frames to tie the game, and the teams were nodded up heading into the final inning. That's when SRU decided to go to work on Plummer. The Rock scored four runs off of Plummer, including an RBI double from Tolliver and an RBI single from designated hitter Billy Wolfe off reliever Brian Chruscial, who pitched a third of an inning, surrendering one run and striking out one batter in the seventh.
Wolfe, who at one time posed one of the biggest offensive weapons on the team, has struggled thus far in 2005, but Butch said the team is sticking behind one of its leaders.
