SLIPPERY ROCK— The Gateway Grizzlies may be in the mood for hibernation after feasting on Slippery Rock pitching Wednesday afternoon.

Gateway banged out 29 hits and scored 24 runs in sweeping the Sliders, 7-3 and 17-3, in a Frontier League doubleheader at Critchfield Park.

The Sliders entered the day on a two-game winning streak and playing .500 baseball (9-9) for the month of August. They ended the day with their manager fuming.

"No two ways about it, we played like dogs today,"Sliders skipper Greg Jelks said. "Playing as well as we have this month and to go about our business the way we did today?It was pathetic.

"I'm not going to stand for it. We have a 12-hour bus ride tonight. When we get off that bus, we're going to the park for batting practice."

The Sliders boarded that bus Wednesday night 35 games below .500.

While the Grizzlies lead the Frontier League's West Division by 15 games and as the only team in the league to have already clinched a playoff spot, the Sliders missed opportunities to win the first game of the twinbill.

With the game scoreless in the first inning, Slippery Rock loaded the bases with no outs. Bryan Vickers and Bernie Dennis then struck out and Robbie Hine grounded out to end the threat.

Stephen Holden's 20th home run of the year — a towering two-run shot over the scoreboard in right field — highlighted a four-run Gateway third inning that snapped a scoreless tie.

Dustin Roberts (26) and teammate Holden have 46 home runs combined this season. They are one-two in the league in that department. The Sliders have 43 homers as a team.

Slippery Rock nearly tied the game in the sixth. Vickers led off with his eighth homer of the season, tying Casey Bowling for the team lead. Dennis walked, Hine singled to left and Jason Curry bunted the runners up.

Ryley Westman grounded to third, but third baseman Manny Paula's throw to the plate was wild and Dennis scored. Phil Butch singled to right, plating Hine and sending Westman to third.

With two outs, Westman got picked off third by catcher Charlie Lisk. The Grizzlies added three runs in the top of the seventh.

"Getting picked off third in that situation is totally inexcusable,"Jelks said.

The Sliders loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but Hine and Curry struck out to end the game.

"We could have easily won that first game, 5-4,"Jelks said. "We missed chances. We didn't put the ball in play."

In the second game, they didn't show up to play.

Twice, the Grizzlies posted six-run innings. Twice, they had a player get two hits in an inning. Holden tripled and singled in the second while Roberts singled twice in the sixth.

The Grizzlies tallied 19 hits in the nightcap — matching the Sliders' season-high for hits allowed — and 11 different players hit safely for Gateway in the contest.

"We didn't even come out to play that second game,"Jelks said. "We were never in that ballgame."

Gateway starting pitcher Jason Herman threw 76 pitches — 56 for strikes — in six innings of the nightcap.

Game 1Gateway 004 000 3—7 10 2Slippery Rock 000 003 0—3 8 0Nathan Roush (W, 5k, 2bb), Eric Ridener (7, 2k, 2bb) and Charlie Lisk; Kory Bucklew (L, 4k, 5bb), Greg Lasinski (7, 0k, 1bb) and Ryley Westman.

Gateway: Jeff Vincent 2-1B, Jonathan Armitage 2B2-R, Mike Brayman 2-1B, Dustin Roberts 2B 2-R2-RBI, Stephen Holdren HR 1B2-R 2-RBI, Manny Paula 1B2-RBI, Charlie Lisk 1B

Slippery Rock: Casey Bowling 1BRBI, Jesse Acosta 2-1B, Anthony Albano 1B, Bryan Vickers HR, Robbie Hine 1B, Ryley Westman 1B, Phil Butch 1B

Game 2Gateway 162 206 0—17 19 1Slippery Rock 001 011 0—3 11 1Jason Herman (W, 4k, obb), Billy McKinney (7, 1k, 0bb) and Eric Beck; John Bachman (L, 2k, 1bb), John Armenio (2, 0k, 2bb), Jason Cline (5, 1k, 2bb), Jon Dandridge (7, 1k, 1bb) and D.J. Dixon.

Gateway (57-26): Jeff Vincent 2B 1B3-R2-RBI, Ryan Saltzgaber 2-2B 2-1B 3-RBI 3-R, Jonathan Armitage 1B 2-RBI, Chris Gibson 1B, Mike Brayman 2B 1B3-RBI, Dustin Roberts 3-1B 2-RBI, Stephen Holdren 3B 1B, Manny Paula 1B RBI3-R, Eric Beck HR2-RBI3-R, Greg Andrews 1B 2-R, Ryan Sullivan 1BRBI

Slippery Rock (24-59): Casey Bowling 2-1BRBI, Jesse Ascota 1B, Anthony Albano 2B 1B, D.J. Dixon 2B 2-1B 2-RBI, Robbie Hine 1B, Jon Dandridge 2B, Cy Donald 1B

Thursday:Slippery Rock @River City (Mo.), 7:05 p.m.

Attendance:312