2008 Woodie Awards
Bats fall silent as Rock losing streak hits season-high four games
By Phil Swartzlander
Rocket Assistant Sports Editor
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Sports
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That is how the SRU baseball team has been playing through its first 21 games this season, a rollercoaster ride that has seen its highs and lows.
But after winning seven straight games, the Rock baseball team has fallen into a four-game losing streak after getting swept in a doubleheader at Ashland (Ohio) University on Wednesday by 6-1 and 5-0 scores.
In the two losses, offense was hard to come by, as the Rock generated only one run on five hits. In the second game, Ashland was one inning away from throwing a no-hitter, but pinch hitter Anthony Heaps pounded out an infield single to break it up.
Ashland is considered a Division II powerhouse and is currently ranked 30th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's national poll.
"Ashland is a very good team, as good as any team in the PSAC," Rock Head Coach Jeff Messer said. "And they threw their two best guys at us and were able to keep us off balance."
In game one of the doubleheader, leadoff hitter and junior shortstop Rich Michalek had two hits and scored the Rock's only run when sophomore catcher Matt Adams lifted a sacrifice fly.
Adams was named this week's PSAC-West Player of the Week on Monday.
Sophomore pitcher Sean Holliday gave up six runs on eight hits and took the loss to fall to 2-2 on the year.
In game two, the Rock was in the contest, trailing by one going into the fourth inning when Ashland scored four runs on three hits in an inning that featured two hit batsmen and a walk.
"We got into some trouble with our walks, but overall we pitched well," Messer said.
Sophomore pitcher Vince Lloyd (1-1) gave up five runs, only three of which were earned, on four hits. Control was a factor for Lloyd, who surrendered five walks, two hit batsmen and a wild pitch.
The dual defeats dropped the Rock to 12-9 on the year.
"It was just one of those days. Nothing was falling for us," Messer said. "And when you face a team like Ashland, you better come to play, and we didn't do that. We didn't have our 'A'-game. But nonetheless, we should have done better, but again, it just wasn't our day."
Before Wednesday's losses, the Rock split a four-game series with the Shippensburg Red Raiders.
They swept Ship on Saturday afternoon at Shippensburg, only to have the Red Raiders sweep the Rock at Jack Critchfield Park on Sunday afternoon.
At home, SRU dropped the first game 3-0 despite collecting seven hits.
In the second game, the Green & White lost a 13-inning marathon, 4-2.
A solid pitching effort was all for naught as the Rock stranded 17 runners on base.
"Ship has a great rotation and they were able to shut us down. But we did the same thing to them the day before," Messer said. "We shut them down on Saturday and they turned around and did the same thing to us on Sunday."
The back-to-back losses at home came a day after they outpitched the Red Raiders on the road.
The Rock won by scores of 3-1 and 6-0.
The wins were highlighted by two three-hit complete games by Chris Squeglia and Rich Hocanson.
"Those four games, at least pitching-wise, were the best that I have seen from one of my teams in a long time," Messer said. "We went 2-2, but our pitchers were on target all weekend."
In the first game at Shippensburg, Squeglia (2-2) got the win with an eight-inning, eight-strikeout effort after surviving early-inning troubles.
The Red Raiders led off the game with their only run and two of their three hits in the first frame.
The only other hit came when Shippensburg led off the seventh with a single.
Scott Bender's RBI double in the eighth scored Rich Michalek for the go-ahead run.
Bender later scored an insurance run on an M.J. Parsons sacrifice fly.
In the second game of the doubleheader at Shippensburg, Hocanson (3-0) exceeded the Squeglia's solid effort, pitching seven shutout innings.
The offense gave Hocanson all he needed in the top of the first, scoring four runs on six hits.
They later added runs in the second and fourth innings.
The Rock will now look ahead to this weekend's showdown with rival and two-time defending PSAC-West champion California University of Pennsylvania.
The Vulcans currently hold a 13-8 overall record and a 3-1 record in PSAC-West play.
"We need to get back mentally for Cal. We are going to hit a lot in practice to just get the offense some confidence," Messer said. "I know that we are going to come around offensively...it's just a matter of time. Pitching-wise, if we can get an output like we did against Ship, we will be all right. Cal doesn't have as strong of a rotation as Ship and Ashland, and playing those two teams as a lead-in to this series was a big help."
The Rock will travel to Cal this afternoon to play a doubleheader and then return home on Saturday to play a twin bill, again with Cal, starting at 1 p.m.
"We are still confident because we have faced tough teams this year," Messer said. "Our record doesn't reflect how well we have played.
"You know we can go out there and play Sisters of the Poor and win 12 straight games, but that doesn't help us. Teams like Ship and Ashland are perennial College World Series contenders, and they will help us get better despite our record."
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