Postgame video interview with Coach Messer
Boxscore: The Rock 3, California (Pa.) 2
Boxscore: The Rock 2, California (Pa.) 1
Photo gallery

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University swept a Sunday afternoon doubleheader against visiting California (Pa.) to take sole possession of first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division baseball standings at the end of the opening weekend of division competition.

SRU claimed a 3-2 win in Sunday's first game and won the second game by a 2-1 score to improve its overall record to 10-8 and its PSAC-West mark to 3-1.

The wins were the second and third recorded by SRU in a four-game weekend series against the defending conference champions and preseason favorites to win this spring's PSAC-West title.

On the strength of Sunday's wins, The Rock held a one-game lead over four teams in the PSAC-West standings. Gannon, Indiana (Pa.), Lock Haven and Mercyhurst were all 2-2 in the opening weekend of division competition. California (11-8 overall) is alone in sixth place at 1-3 with Clarion 0-0 against division rivals.

The Rock will take a break from PSAC-West competition next weekend (March 26-27) and host NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rival West Liberty (W. Va.) University in a four-game series at Jack Critchfield Park.

SRU manufactured the winning run in Sunday's first game from a one-out walk by senior catcher Derek DiRuscia and three wild pitches by California pitcher Sean Welsh in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Rock came right back with two runs in the bottom of the first inning of the second game and made those tallies stand up for the win.

Senior center fielder Matt Howard, who was 2-for-4 with two singles, was only Rock player to collect more than one hit in the first game, in which the hosts had a total of six hits, the same total as California.

Freshman second baseman Lee Foxton had two singles, including an RBI hit in the first inning, to lead a five-hit Rock attack in the second game.

Freshman right-hander Ryan Oglesby was the beneficiary of the final-inning tally in the first game to improve his season record to 3-0. He allowed two hits and struck out one in one inning of relief work.

Rookie righty Lou Trivino allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits, struck out four and walked two in the first six innings.

Sophomore southpaw Joby Lapkowicz picked up his first win in three decisions this spring after he allowed one unearned run on four hits, struck out three and walked four in the first five innings of the second game.

Freshman righty John Kovalik picked up his first save with a three-strikeout, one-hit relief effort in the final two innings.

Foxton singled home the first Rock in the second game after junior right fielder Derek Carr had led off the bottom of the first inning with a base on balls and moved to second on a wild pitch.

Foxton advanced to second on a single by Howard, went to third on a ground out by senior shortstop Adam Jury and scored what proved to be the winning run on a ground out by DiRuscia.

DiRuscia slapped an RBI single to center field with one out in the bottom of the first inning of the first game to knot the score at 1-1 after California got a run in the top of the first.

California regained the lead at 2-1 with a run in the top of the third inning before an RBI double by Carr into the left-field corner in the bottom of the sixth retied the score and set up the decisive final-inning Rock rally.

Notes:

Sunday's games were the first of eight straight The Rock will play at Jack Critchfield Park. After hosting the four-game set vs. West Liberty next weekend, SRU returns to PSAC-West action with a 1 p.m. doubleheader April 1 vs. Clarion … The Rock will then play a twinbill April 2 at Clarion before returning home for four straight home games. All told, SRU will play 12 of its next 14 games at “The Jack,” where SRU owns a 110-54 record in the facility's eight-year history.