The Rocket

Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Steve Reed Senior starting pitcher Chris Squeglia fires a pitch in a seven-inning complete game against California University of Pennsylvania earlier this month. Squeglia is tied for the team lead in wins with four and has a 4.62 ERA while holding opponents to a .245 batting average. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Nate Daymut Sophomore catcher/first baseman Matt Adams rounds the bases after his fifth home run of the year. Adams is currently leading the PSAC in batting average and doubles. [Click to enlarge]

The Rock baseball team made several strides this past week in its hunt for the postseason.

The team split against regional rival West Liberty State in a doubleheader on Tuesday and after taking three out of four games against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West divisional opponent Lock Haven last weekend.

In the doubleheader against West Liberty State, the Rock lost game one 5-4 in eight innings before exploding offensively for a 21-5 win.

In the first game of the twin bill, the Rock found itself down four runs going into the seventh, only to strand the winning run on third base.

The Rock rally began with singles by left fielder Jacob Oswalt and catcher Jim Eimiller setting up second baseman Billy Messer's three-run homer that brought the Rock back within a run.

Shortstop Rich Michalek singled and then stole second, scoring on a Scott Bender triple that tied the game at 4-4.

With the winning run on third and only one out, the Rock was in position to get the win.

But third baseman Billy Herman grounded out to the pitcher for the second out and Bender was tagged out at home after attempting to score on a wild pitch.

"It was just a bang-bang play at home," Messer said. "Out of 10 times, five times he would be safe and five times he would be out."

The Hilltoppers scored a run in the eighth and then shut the door on the Rock attack with a 1-2-3 bottom half.

"West Liberty is just a scrappy, aggressive team, no matter what their record is," Messer said.

Rock relief pitcher Justin Thomas (0-1) was charged with the loss after giving up one run on two hits.

Starter Sean Holliday pitched five strong innings, allowing nine hits and three earned runs while striking out five.

In game two, the Rock responded in a big way, scoring 21 runs, with 15 of them coming in the sixth inning.

The first inning provided plenty of fireworks as West Liberty State hit a grand slam after three walks loaded the bases.

Michalek led off the Rock half of the first with a solo home run, making the score 4-1.

Center fielder M.J. Parsons blasted a two-run homer to make the score 5-4 after Matt Adams got the Rock within one with a two-RBI double.

The long ball has been good to the Rock, as they have hit 23 homers while allowing just eight on the season.

"There is no one in our lineup that can't hit one," Messer said.

The sixth inning was an offensive outburst as the Rock scored 15 runs on 10 hits and three errors.

The inning was highlighted by a two-run blast by Adams and Michalek's four RBIs in two at-bats.

Adams is leading the PSAC with a .421 average and 24 doubles.

"(Adams) is one of the top players in the conference and is a definite pro prospect," Messer said. "I can see him at the next level."

Starter Vince Lloyd (2-1) recovered from the first-inning grand slam to throw a strong five innings, yielding three hits and five runs. He also had seven strikeouts.

"Vince had a shaky start, but settled down and gave us a good start," Messer said.

The split moved the Rock's overall record to 19-15, good enough for eighth in the initial NCAA regional poll.

The most important wins last week came against PSAC West opponent Lock Haven.

The Rock swept last Friday's home doubleheader with the Bald Eagles with 9-3 and 10-4 victories behind Bender's five-hit, five-RBI, two-homer day.

In the first game, the Rock held a 3-2 lead going into the fourth until Bender's RBI double and Herman's two-run triple put the Rock up by three.

Adams also added an RBI in the frame.

The sixth inning featured two solo home runs from Bender and Adams to put the game away.

Winning pitcher Chris Squeglia (4-2) threw a complete game, giving up four hits and two earned runs while striking out eight and walking two.

In game two, the Rock took the lead in the first with back-to-back doubles by Herman and Adams.

Adams would later triple in the third to give the Rock a 3-1 advantage.

In the Rock fourth, Bender singled in two runners for what would prove to be the game-winning RBI and later scored on a Herman single to put the Rock in front 6-1.

Lock Haven would not go away quietly, scoring two runs in the fifth. But it wasn't enough, as four runs over the fifth and sixth innings highlighted by Bender's second homer of the day and a two-run double by Oswalt helped the Rock complete the sweep.

Winning pitcher Rich Hocanson moved his record to 4-1, throwing four innings.

The doubleheader at LHU provided a little trouble for the Rock, as it managed just five hits in the 4-1 game-one loss.

The Rock got its only run from a solo homer by Parsons.

Losing pitcher Justin Dickert (2-2) gave up eight hits and four runs, three earned, in six innings of work.

Game two was a complete turnaround from game one, as the Rock scored 10 runs on 10 hits.

The Rock trailed in the game until the sixth inning, when a two-run double by Parsons broke a 5-5 tie and put the Rock ahead for good.

Reliever Craig Misiewicz (1-1) got the win with two innings of work.

Starter Don Pugliese threw four innings while giving up five runs on five hits and striking out four.

The Rock will now move on to face rival Indiana University of Pennsylvania in a four-game series.

IUP holds the second place in the PSAC West with an 8-4 conference mark and a 30-12 overall record.

SRU is in fourth place in the PSAC West with a 7-5 record.

"It's a four-team race for three spots," Messer said. "It's imperative to win at least one game down there (at Indiana). There is no need to pep talk this series."

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