The Slippery Rock University baseball team did not just win on Tuesday, but clawed their way back from a three-run deficit and stormed past Ashland University for a 9–6 comeback victory at Tomassi Stadium in Ashland, Ohio.
For most of the afternoon, The Rock found themselves chasing the game. Things shifted in the seventh inning when Stone Powell and Morgen Billotte took over. The pair combined to drive in all six of SRU’s late-inning runs, flipping the momentum completely.
On the mound, relievers Tyler Slone and Nolan Comerford shut the door, holding Ashland scoreless over the final three innings to seal the win.
Seven different White and Green hitters contributed to the 11-hit day, continuing a trend of offensive consistency. The Rock has now reached double-digit hits in 14 of their last 18 games. They’ve also become nearly automatic in midweek matchups, stretching their midweek winning streak to 11 straight dating back to late 2024.
Powell and Billotte were the clear catalysts. Both went 2-for-5 with a home run, but Powell’s four RBIs (runs batted in) and team-leading seventh homer of the season gave him the edge statistically. Billotte, meanwhile, enjoyed one of his best outings of the year, launching his first home run of 2026, doubling, scoring twice and driving in two.
Gage Gillott added a strong performance of his own, going 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Darryn Callahan chipped in two RBIs, and teammates Treston Nemeth, Max Bernadowski and Mason Raup each reached base twice.
On the pitching side, SRU used four arms. Starter Kyle Warnsman settled in after a shaky first inning, finishing with four strikeouts and two runs allowed over three frames. Michael Cahill followed with 2.1 innings of relief, giving up three runs before handing things over to Slone. Slone earned the win after 2.2 innings of steady work, allowing just one run and striking out two. Comerford handled the ninth, working around traffic to secure his third save.
Ashland jumped out early with two runs in the first, but Warnsman’s next two scoreless innings kept SRU within striking distance. The Rock finally broke through in the second inning when Callahan drove in a run after Ashland pitcher Brody Saunders escaped a bases-loaded jam.
SRU grabbed their first lead in the fourth. After Clay Wiesen walked and Bernadowski delivered the team’s first hit of the day, a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Callahan’s groundout tied the game, and Raup’s looping single pushed SRU ahead 3–2. Ashland answered immediately, tying the game in the bottom half.
The Eagles regained control in the sixth, using a bases-loaded situation to plate three runs and take a 6–3 lead. But Slippery Rock refused to fade. Billotte’s solo home run in the seventh cut into the deficit, and Powell’s two-run blast moments later tied the game.
In the eighth, Billotte struck again, ripping a double down the right-field line to score Raup and give SRU the lead. Powell followed with a two-run single that brought home Billotte and Gillott, stretching the advantage to 9–6. From there, Slone and Comerford handled the rest.
Slippery Rock now turns their attention to a crucial four-game Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West division series against Clarion this weekend. The teams open with a doubleheader Friday at Pullman Park in Butler before shifting to Critchfield Park on Saturday for Messer Field Dedication Day.
