SLIPPERY ROCK — Pitching used to be a bright spot for the Slippery Rock Sliders.

Now it has manager Greg Jelks scratching his head.

After watching his team combine for just three runs while losing both games of a doubleheader against Evansville (Ind.) on Wednesday, it was his pitching that had Jelks promising changes after a 22-4 Frontier League loss to the Otters Thursday night at Critchfield Park.

Slippery Rock's first four pitchers combined to walk 13 batters and give up 13 hits in seven innings against an Evansville team that entered the game with a team batting average of .234.

"There will be some major changes over the next four to five days," said Jelks, who said the same thing about his team's offense on Wednesday. "You can't expect to play professional baseball and go out and give up that many runs."

Jelks' comments were directed at his relief pitchers, for starter Derek Griffith did have a valid excuse for his poor outing, which lasted just 1X\c innings and yielded five Evansville runs.

"Derek has tendonitis in his (left) arm," Jelks said. "He had been complaining about it for about a week and a half. We had a doctor check him out and he said it'd be all right. And the last few days, Derek said he felt fine."

But the left-hander wasn't fine. He walked three batters in the first inning, striking out Cody Montgomery and Matt Edwards to leave the bases loaded.

But the top of the second saw Griffith walk five more batters, the last two with the bases loaded, before Jelks called on reliever Kory Bucklew with the Otters up 2-0.

"I should have taken him out in the first inning," Jelks said. "But in the second inning I knew that I had to pull him."

Bucklew didn't have a problem with free passes, but surrendered five straight hits in the top of the third and was out of the game after 1Z\c innings with five runs on seven hits charged against him.

Right-handed reliever Steve Less followed and surrendered three runs in three innings before giving way to Jon Tapper, who walked the first three batters he faced in the top of the seventh.

Jelks was forced to bring in catcher-first baseman Bryan Vickers to pitch the final two innings and the Otters (15-14) tagged him for six runs in the ninth frame.

"I didn't have any other pitchers in the bullpen, besides my closer (Greg Lasinski)," said Jelks. "And I didn't want to bring him into a game like this in case I need him tomorrow."

Slippery Rock's offense took a brief 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a pair of runs off Evansville starter Matt Restivo.

Vickers drove in Phil Butch with a base hit and Steve Hudson singled in Vickers.

Trailing 5-2 in its half of the second frame, Slippery Rock scored two more runs with an RBI base hit by Butch, who then scored on a wild pitch.

But that was all the Sliders (8-20) could manage.

"It's one thing to have 12 hits," said Jelks. "But you have to get them in key situations when guys are on base."

Notes: Six of the Sliders' 12 hits were infield singles, with Nate Yoho legging out three of them. ... Butch had two infield base hits and Casey Bowling managed two doubles. ... Slippery Rock has now lost eight straight games and is 4-15 in June.

Evansville 055 300 306—22 19 2Slippery Rock 220 000 000— 4 12 2Matt Restivo (3k, 3bb), Jared Trout (5), Jon Lewis (9, 1k, 0bb) and Tom Pennino; Derek Griffith, Kory Bucklew (2, 1k, 0bb), Steve Less (4, 0k, 1bb), Jon Tapper (7, 2k, 4bb), Bryan Vickers (8, 0k, 1bb) and Bernie Dennis.

W: Trout (6k, 0bb).

L: Griffith (3k, 8bb).

Evansville (15-14): Zack Pace 1B 2B 4R 2 RBI, Kyle Smith 2-1B 2R 2 RBI, Ryan Bethel 1B 2R 3 RBI, Cody Montgomery 2-1B 2B 2R 4 RBI, Matt Edwards 2-1B 2R 3 RBI, Tim Auty 1B R, Tom Pennino 3-1B 2B 2R 2 RBI, Shaun Lehmann 1B 2R, Matt Reynolds 2-1B 4R 3 RBI, Brendon O'Donnell 1B R RBI

Slippery Rock (8-20): Casey Bowling 2-2B, Phil Butch 2-1B R RBI, Nate Yoho 3-1B, Bryan Vickers 1B R RBI, Steve Hudson 1B RBI, Jason Curry 1B, Bernie Dennis 2-1B R

Today: Slippery Rock at Southern Illinois