WASHINGTON, Pa. – In the final tune-up before league play, the Kutztown University baseball team won one-of-two games on the road against Slippery Rock University Wednesday in non-conference action at Ross Memorial Park in Washington. KU won the opener 7-3 before falling 6-1 in the nightcap.
 
The Golden Bears (7-4 overall) have either won or split their first four series of the year and have won five of their last seven games.
 
Kutztown combined for just eight hits in the two games Wednesday, four each game. Aaron Cleveland (Pillow, Pa./Upper Dauphin) had the hot bat for KU, finishing the day with three hits in four at-bats, adding two runs. Collin Bishop (Laurel Springs, N.J./Highland Regional) recorded one hit, one run scored and two RBI in game one, while Greg Power (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) also had a hit and an RBI. Jake Augustus (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh), Antonio Rossillo (Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood) and Mike Piscotty (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Hanover Area) had one hit each, with Rossillo and Piscotty's coming in the late game.
 
Freshman Trevor Leverington (Kutztown, Pa./Kutztown), making his first collegiate start on the mound, earned the win for the Maroon and Gold in game one. He went four innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits and struck out three in 65 pitches.
 
Kutztown will open its portion of play in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) this weekend when it takes on Bloomsburg University. KU will play at Bloom on Friday, March 13, for one game at 2 p.m., followed by a doubleheader at North Campus Field the following day, Saturday, beginning at noon.
 
Game One
Kutztown 7, Slippery Rock 3
 
Kutztown jumped ahead in its first at-bats, putting up a four-spot in the top of the first inning.
 
With one out, Augustus doubled down the left field line followed by a walk to Bishop. A Rock throwing error in the next at-bat allowed Augustus to come home, then Rossillo hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Bishop. Power then singled home Moretski and Dominic Proietto (Norristown, Pa./Norristown) came home on a wild pitch to stake KU to an early four-run advantage.
 
The early run support was a big confidence booster for Leverington, pitching in just his fourth game on the year.
 
Slippery Rock chipped away at its deficit with one run in the bottom of the third and two in the fourth.
 
But Kutztown received another clutch hit from Bishop, a two-run double to left that brought around Mitch Pinder (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) and Jacoby Pate (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) for a 6-3 lead. The Maroon and Gold were able to add an insurance run in their final at-bats, as Cleveland raced home on a wild pitch by the Rock reliever.
 
Kutztown was outhit 5-4, but produced some of its seven runs thanks to two Slippery Rock errors and two wild pitches.
 
Game Two
Slippery Rock 6, Kutztown 1
 
Kutztown was unable to complete the sweep as Slippery Rock (7-3) scored the game's first five runs, two coming in the bottom of the second and fourth innings to secure the victory.
 
Much like in the opener, the KU baserunners took advantage of errant throws from Rock pitchers, scoring its lone run after Cleveland touched home following a wild pitch in the top of the sixth inning.
 
Slippery Rock's ace, Andy McClymonds (3-0), stymied the Golden Bears' bats, going six strong and holding Kutztown to one run on four hits.