SLIPPERY ROCK — It was simply too big of a hole for the Slippery Rock Sliders.

Before they picked up their bats, the Sliders were down 6-0 in Friday night’s Prospect League game against Richmond (Ind.) at Critchfield Park.

The home team made things interesting before falling to the RiverRats 9-6.

Slippery Rock (3-5 second half) answered with four runs in the bottom of the first inning, but never did pull even despite several chances to do so.

The last of those came in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Trailing by three runs, the Sliders received a leadoff single from Jon Capasso. After two outs, Fred Ford singled and Radley Haddad walked to load the bases.

Richmond reliever Aaron Newcomb, who had entered the game in the eighth frame, struck out Michael Durham to end the contest.

Richmond’s lineup jumped on Slippery Rock starting pitcher Chris Vopinek.

The first five batters of the game singled, giving the RiverRats a 4-0 lead before Vopinek managed to get an out.

“We take a pretty good approach at the plate,” said Richmond manager Tyler Lairson. “It was good to see us hit like that right after the (All-Star) break.”

With two outs, Josh Denny’s base hit scored Austin Ingraham and T.J. Weir for a 6-0 edge. At that point, Slippery Rock manager Andy Chalot elected to pull Vopinek.

“He was missing with his location with virtually every pitch,” said Chalot. “He was catching too much plate and Richmond’s hitters were getting good swings.”

Donovan Feenstra entered the game and pitched the next 5Z\c innings, allowing just one run on four hits in that span. The southpaw fanned five and walked two.

“That’s the third time in a row that Donovan has entered a game when we were down by a few runs,” said Chalot. “The last time, we were down by four (to Chillicothe July 8) and we came back and won.

“He gave us a chance to get back in it again tonight.”

Richmond starter Nick Brennen experienced his own troubles to start the game.

Taking the mound with the 6-0 lead, Brennen walked the first three batters of the bottom of the first.

Slippery Rock’s Ethan Santora then doubled home Trent Wooldridge and Mitch Elliott.

Before the end of the inning, David Leon and Ford had tallied RBI-groundouts to cut the Sliders’ deficit to 6-4.

“Brennen is usually a reliever, but we decided to change up our rotation a bit in the second half,” said Lairson. “He struggled to find his arm slot early tonight. We had him on a low pitch count to begin with and he ran it up in the first inning, but he settled in after that.”

After escaping further damage in the first inning, Brennen pitched three scoreless innings before handing the ball over to the first of Richmond’s two relievers, Jackson Baker.

Baker was charged with the two runs Slippery Rock scored in the bottom of the seventh as Ford hit a two-run double down the leftfield line to make it 7-6.

But with the bases loaded, Baker fanned Durham with an offspeed pitch.

The RiverRats (4-4) gave themselves breathing room by plating a pair of runs in the top of the ninth off Slippery Rock’s Kevin Jurkatis. Kyle Bischoff and Denny both came through with run-scoring singles.

Richmond 601 000 002 — 9 17 1Slippery Rock 400 000 200 — 6 8 1W: Jackson Baker 3 IP (4K, 3BB).

L: Chris Vopinek 2/3 IP (1K, 0BB).

SV: Aaron Newcomb 2 IP (3K, 1BB).

Richmond (4-4): Rob McPike 2-1B R, Jake Hansen 3-1B R, Nolan Earley 2-1B R RBI, Ryan Skellie 1B R RBI, Austin Ingraham 2-1B 2R RBI, Jordan Grilliot 1B 2R, T.J. Weir 2B 3B R RBI, Kyle Bischoff 2-1B RBI, Josh Denny 2-1B 3RBI

Slippery Rock (3-5): Trent Wooldridge 2-1B 2R, Mitch Elliott 1B R, Jon Capasso 1B R, Ethan Santora 2B 2R 2RBI, David Leon RBI, Fred Ford 1B 2B 3RBI, Jim Lundstrom 1B

Saturday: Richmond at Slippery Rock, 7:05 p.m.