SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Mansfield Mountaineers baseball team (8-23) traveled to Slippery Rock on Tuesday afternoon to take on The Rock (17-9) for an East-West crossover battle in nonconference action. 

GAME ONE

Tyler Swineford turned in his best start of the year going 6.0 innings, allowing just one run on three hits, and striking out three batters to earn the victory in game one.

The Rock got their only run in game one in the bottom of the first with an RBI single to left. 

Mansfield answered quickly in the top of the second with a single through the right side by Jeffrey Coakley that scored Jacob Houtz.

The Mountaineer offense pushed across four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 5-1 lead over Slippery Rock. The inning started with a Houtz walk to put the lead-off man aboard. 

Ryan Verbonitz singled through the right side to put runners on the corners before Coakley registered his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice bunt to score Houtz. 

Shay Gustafson plated another two with a double to left center, allowing Zack Garrity and Verbonitz to score. Logan Wells got into the mix as he doubled to right center, bringing home Gustafson to give the Mounties a four-run lead.

That is all Swineford and the Mountaineer bullpen would need as they held the Rock offense quiet for the remainder of the game and took the first of two games by a final score of 5-1.

GAME TWO

Slippery Rock started game two quickly scoring four two-out runs in the bottom of the first with three coming off of a home run over the left center field wall.

Mansfield got back in the game with their second four-run inning of the day. In the top of the fourth Brett Stewart singled home Houtz to put the Mounties on the board.

Zachary Shertzer followed with a single of his own, driving in both Stewart and Vebonitz to cut the deficit to one. Wells tied the game at four, scoring on a wild pitch to finish the scoring in the inning.

The Rock reclaimed the lead in the bottom half with two runs coming off an RBI double, followed by an RBI single.

The Mountaineers got one back in the sixth inning from a Cole Serfass single through the right side to make it a 6-5 game.

Slippery Rock's offense exploded, adding seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to claim a 13-5 game-two victory and secure a doubleheader split.

UP NEXT:
The Mountaineers head to Emory, Virginia to play a three-game non-conference series with Emory & Henry College. The first two will be played on Saturday, April 13 consisting of a nine-inning and seven-inning doubleheader, starting at noon.