Added fuel propels Rockets
SLIPPERY ROCK – As if the Slippery Rock boys baseball team required any added inspiration.
Having piled up 14 knocks their last time on the diamond, the Rockets’ offense was about as steady as the rain that started falling in the latter going of Friday night’s District 10 semifinal bout with Harbor Creek, which was played at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Stadium.
With a teammate’s loss weighing on their minds, the Rockets downed the Huskies by a 14-9 final.
The entire Slippery Rock team attended the viewing of senior outfielder Andrew Massella’s father, Mark, earlier in the day. The elder Massella, who coached a number of the Rockets’ players in football, passed away Wednesday.
“That absolutely was motivation for them today,” Slippery Rock coach Derrick Wood said. “Today, that’s what it was all about.”
Each of the Rockets’ nine batters recorded a hit in the victory.
After putting together a string of two-out knocks to score Shane Thompson in the initial frame, Slippery Rock broke things open in the fourth.
Sal Mineo led off with the first of four Rockets walks in the inning, and Walker Vogan and Ethan Drushel both singled soon after. Drushel’s blooper into shallow center field plated Mineo. A pair of runs crossed on wild pitches by Harbor Creek starter Preston Lanagan, who got out of each of the two innings before that in ten offerings or less.
Slippery Rock’s entire order took its cuts before the Rockets brought a 5-1 advantage into the bottom half.
“Some teams say that, but we really do have one through nine that can hit anybody,” Wood said.
A four-run sixth included an inside-the-park home run by Brett Galcik, who finished with three hits and five runs driven in after a double in the final frame.
“That’s probably, one to nine, the best lineup we’ve faced all year,” Huskies coach Ted Desanti said. “I haven’t even seen one through nine hit the ball like that.”
The Rockets’ starting pitcher, Dylan Gordon, got through the third, fourth, and fifth innings using only 15 pitches. He only gave up three hits before Harbor Creek broke through in the bottom of the sixth.
“I wanted him to throw a complete game and kind of wanted him to finish it,” Wood said. “It was his fourth time going through the lineup … I left him in a little too long. He did a heck of a job.”
For all the credit that the Rockets’ bats are getting, Wood stressed the importance of the team’s one-two pitching combo – Gordon and Shane Thompson – saying that they’re a large part of the reason that Slippery Rock is advancing to play Cathedral Prep in the District 10 final Monday at Mercyhurst.
Just how far can the mix take Slippery Rock?
“If you ask these boys, all the way,” Wood said. “These guys are together as they’ve ever been … The sky's the limit for these guys, and that’s their mindset.”
Slippery Rock 100 404 5 – 14 14 3
Harbor Creek 100 004 4 – 9 10 1
W: Dylan Gordan 6.1IP (4K, 1BB). L: Preston Lanagan 4IP (0K, 4BB).
Slippery Rock (17-5): Lucas Allison 2-1B 2RBI, Nick Kingerski 2-1B RBI, Shane Thompson 2-1B RBI, Brett Galcik 1B 2B HR 5RBI, Sal Mineo 1B RBI, Walker Vogan 1B, Brody Galcik 1B, Ethan Drushel 2-1B RBI, Ryan Montgomery 1B
Harbor Creek (9-11): Moon 2B, Lanagan 1B, Williamson 1B HR 4RBI, Vaughn 1B 3B RBI, B. Rzodiewicz 1B RBI
