Slippery Rock University’s baseball team needed a pick-me-up.

Kyle Schneider provided it.

The sophomore right-hander allowed one baserunner — a leadoff bunt single by Jay Hartman in the fourth inning — in shutting out Lock Haven. 3-0, in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at Pullman Park.

The Bald Eagles had won the first game, 4-3, scoring four times in the final inning.

“You never want to get swept,” Schneider said. “If you get a split, you can always come back and win three of four in the series.”

Schneider not only got the split — he kept his team out of the cold. He threw 13 pitches in the second inning. He never threw more than nine in any other inning.

Schneider threw 58 pitches on the day. Only 13 were wide of the strike zone.

“We’ve had pitchers have low pitch counts before, but this was ridiculous,” SRU coach Jeff Messer said. “He was spot on with everything. They hardly squared up anything against him all day.

“If you just throw fastballs in the PSAC, you’re gonna get hit. Kyle was spotting his curve ball very well and his fastball was around 87 (mph) today.”

Schneider began the game with a 1,37 earned run average through 26 innings. Even he couldn’t believe where his pitch count was at.

“That was crazy,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t throwing very many pitches. My defense had my back and I knew I could just relax and throw strikes.”

Consecutive doubles by Kevin Jovanovich, Brandon Myers and Jake Weibley highlighted a three-run Rock first inning that chased Lock Haven starter Parker Watson. Left-handed reliever Joe Nestor allowed SRU (14-5) only one more hit the rest of the way.

Schneider didn’t need any more support.

“It was a good bunt. I did what I could with it, but it was in a perfect spot,” Schneider said of the only runner he allowed.

The Rock didn’t muster much offense in the first game, either, collecting all four of its hits in the first three innings while building a 3-0 lead. Jake Nogalo singled and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning and Weibley delivered a two-out, two-run single to left in the third.

SRU had runners on second and third with one out in the second, but Bald Eagle pitcher Madison Neddo struck out Graeme Zaparynski and Matt Curtis to end the threat.

“That missed opportunity came back to bite us,” Messer said.

Indeed, it did.

Rock right-hander Lou Trivino — who entered the day with a PSAC-leading 0.63 ERA — didn’t allow a hit until two outs in the fifth. He took the 3-0 lead into the seventh.

Trivino walked the first two hitters in the seventh, then allowed a run-scoring single to Jose Diaz. No. 9 hitter Josh Jones laid down a sacrifice bunt that Trivino booted, loading the bases.

Messer pulled Trivino in favor of junior reliever John Kovalik.

Hartman grounded into a force play, plating a run. Ryan Henritzy lofted a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game. After Hartman stole second, Scott Zuback lined a single to left to bring home the go-ahead run.

Neddo retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh. He threw 104 pitches and struck out six for the win.

“Madison was getting flustered every time they got a man on early in the game,” Lock Haven coach Paul “Smokey” Stover said. “We calmed him down between innings and he finished strong.

“We have a young team and we didn’t know what our personality was earlier this season. Now we feel like we can play with anybody. I think SlipperyRock is the favorite to win our division.”

Messer said Trivino “didn’t compete” in the game’s final inning.

“He said he got tired, but he was under 100 pitches,” Messer said. “If we field that bunt, we probably win, 3-2.

“We gave that one away, but we’ll give Lou a pass on that one,. He’s been pretty effective for us.”

SRU is off to its best start since 2005 (15-2). The Rock ranks third in the PSAC with a 2.96 ERA and fifth with a .311 batting average.

Sunday marked the team’s first games since returning from its Florida trip. Saturday’s scheduled games at Lock Haven were postponed due to unplayable conditions.

“It’s always tough on hitters the first time out in the cold,” Messer said. “We’ll hit better than we did today and so will Lock Haven.”

First Game

Lock Haven 000 000 4 — 4 5 0

Slippery Rock 102 000 0 — 3 4 1

W: Madison Neddo 7IP (6K, 1BB). L: Lou Trivino 6IP (7K, 4BB).

Lock Haven: Jay Hartman RBI, Ryan Henritzy RBI, Scott Zuback 2-1B RBI, Anthony Kyne 1B, Matt Henderson 1B, Jose Diaz 1B RBI

Slippery Rock: Jake Nogalo 1B 2B 2-R, Brandon Myers 1B, Jake Weibley 1B 2-RBI

Second Game

Lock Haven 000 000 0 — 0 1 0

Slippery Rock 300 000 x — 3 5 0

W: Kyle Schneider 7IP (4K, 0BB). L: Parker Watson 0.1IP (0K, 1BB).

Lock Haven (5-9, 1-1): Jay Hartman 1B

Slippery Rock (14-5, 1-1): Will Kengor 1B, Kevin Jovanovich 2-2B RBI, Brandon Myers 2B RBI, Jake Weibley 2B RBI

Friday: Slippery Rock at Clarion