Boxscore

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Mansfield University scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning Saturday morning and held off a late Slippery Rock University rally to record a 3-2 win in NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional baseball action.

The win improved the Mounties' season record to 6-2 and gave The Rock a 7-7 overall as the teams prepared to head north after their annual spring-break trip to Florida.

The Rock took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on an RBI double by senior center fielder Matt Howard. Junior left fielder Derek Carr scored on the hit after he was hit by a pitch and moved to second base on a ground out.

Mansfield tied the score at 1-1 with a run in the bottom of the third and then parlayed one hit, two bases on balls and three wild pitches into the decisive fifth-inning rally to take a 3-1 lead.

SRU narrowed the gap to 3-2 with a run in the top of the sixth on the a Mansfield error and back-to-back singles by senior catcher Derek DiRuscia and sophomore third baseman Jamison Walck.

SRU had the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third bases with two outs in the top of the ninth inning when Mounties second baseman Brian Milliman made a diving stop in the hole between first and second bases and righted himself in time to record the game-ending out at first base.

Howard had two hits in the game to lead an eight-hit Rock offensive attack.

Rock starting pitcher Lou Trivino allowed one earned run on three hits, struck out seven and walked three in the first four innings.

Relief pitcher Jason Steen was charged with two earned runs on only one hit, struck out two and walked six in the final five innings to suffer the loss, his third in as many decisions this spring.

The Rock is scheduled to return to action March 18, when it will host defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion California (Pa.) in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Jack Critchfield Park.