SLIPPERY ROCK — The Sliders are slipping.

Richmond (Ind.) banged out 16 hits Tuesday night, including a critical grand slam in the second inning, in routing Slippery Rock 14-6 in Prospect League baseball at Critchfield Park.

While the River Rats (21-23) escaped last place in the East Division, the Sliders lost for the seventh time in eight games and dropped into the cellar.

"We're just not playing good baseball right now," Sliders manager Chase Rowe said. "We've been making errors at critical times, not getting a quality start from our pitcher at other times.

"We've lost some pitchers to injury, relievers have had to start — everything just snowballed on us."

Seneca Valley graduate and North Carolina State pitcher Cory Mazzoni got the start Tuesday and struggled through four innings. He allowed nine runs — eight earned — and threw 100 pitches.

The Sliders trailed 3-2 in the top of the second when the River Rats loaded the bases with one out. Mazzoni struck out league home run leader Tyler Bullock looking, setting himself up to escape further damage.

But No. 4 hitter Garrett Stephens followed with a towering grand slam to center field, the ball clearing the fence just to the left of the 400-foot sign.

"That kid just ran into one," Rowe lamented. "We haven't had much trouble with him all season."

The home run was Stephens' fourth of the season.

"Garrett's been swinging the bat well lately," Richmond manager Tyler Lairson said. "That was the turning point of the game right there. We just relaxed and played ball after that."

Mazzoni allowed eight hits, walked four and hit a batter before being pulled after the fourth inning. He was visibly frustrated by his lack of command.

"It was a tough night for him because he was just missing his spots and a few weak ground balls got through our infield that maybe we should have gotten to," Rowe said.

"Cory's especially hard on himself. He tries to be perfect out there at times. When his mind-set matches the tremendous talent he has — and it will — that guy is going to be a tremendous pitcher some day."

Mazzoni (2-3) has 51 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings and began the night with a 2.95 earned run average.

Bullock wound up hitting his 11th home run in the sixth inning, a long blast off Andy Young that sailed nearly 20 feet over and inside the foul pole down the right-field line. He went 3-for-6 to improve upon a .306 batting average.

"Being a catcher, Tyler understands pitchers and he works at his game every day," Lairson said. "We feel like we're still in the hunt for the division. We also feel we have to win the rest of our games to get it. That's the approach we're taking."

No team is more than four games out of first place in the division.

"We've still got eight games left to make a run at it ourselves," Rowe said. "Hopefully, we'll win one (today), take advantage of a couple of days off and get back on track."

Notes: North Allegheny graduate Rich Rairigh will start for the Sliders against North Coast (Ohio) tonight. ... Nick Spisak had three doubles for Slippery Rock, giving him 12 for the season. ... The Sliders have hit 13 homers this season, only two more than Bullock.

Richmond 252 002 201 — 14 16 0Slippery Rock 210 000 111 — 6 10 1W: Neil Hudson (5 IP) 6 K, 1 BB.

L: Cory Mazzoni (4 IP) 6 K, 4 BB.

Richmond (21-23): Raymond Fuentes 3-1B 2-R RBI, Tim Pitro 2-1B 3-R RBI, Tyler Bullock HR 2B 1B 3-R RBI, Garrett Stephens HR 1B 2-R 4-RBI, Mitch Wadau 1B RBI, Jake Carr 2-1B RBI, Braden Kline 1B RBI, Griffin Richeson 1B RBI, Caleb King 1B 2-R RBI

Slippery Rock (21-24): Derek Carr 3B 2-R, Nick Spisak 3-2B 2-R 2-RBI, Shane Eyler 1B RBI, Charlie Kelley 2B 1B 2-RBI, Billy Messer 1B, Matt Howard 2-1B RBI

Today: North Coast (Ohio) at Slippery Rock