SLIPPERY ROCK — Andrew Morris had his best stuff of the season.

The Slippery Rock pitcher's fastball sizzled and his split-finger pitch dove into the dirt.

The only problem was when North Coast (Ohio) was able to catch up to Morris' filthy offerings, the results were hits and runs as the Sliders dropped a lightning-shortened, 5-0 Prospect League baseball decision at Jack Critchield Park Wednesday.

"He had his best fastball all season," said Slippery Rock manager Chase Rowe. "They just got a lot of key hits. They just barreled up on some balls."

Morris struck out seven and walked one in five innings. The right-hander gave up nine hits, but seven of them came in the third and fourth innings, when North Coast scored all five of its runs.

Evan Melendez tripled off the glove of diving Slippery Rock center fielder Matt Howard and later scored in the third inning. He then doubled home two runs in the fourth for the Knights.

John Spatola went 3-for-3 with three singles and two RBI for North Coast.

Despite giving up five earned runs in five innings, Morris still sports a 2.51 ERA.

North Coast manager Andy Jarvis said he was happy about his team's rare offensive explosion. The Knights came into the game with a team batting average of .224 — lowest in the league.

"He's an all-star," Jarvis said of Morris. "Getting one run off of him is something, let alone five. We're not an offensive juggernaut."

North Coast didn't have to be because of starting pitcher Joe Oropeza, who is putting up even more eye-popping statistics than Morris.

Oropeza hit as many Slippery Rock batters as Slider batters got hits.

He gave up a double in the third inning to leadoff hitter Nick Spisak and a single in the fifth by Slippery Rock High graduate Billy Messer.

That was it.

In the process he lowered his ERA to 0.84.

Oropeza, who does his college pitching in San Francisco, raised his record to 4-1. He has given up just 24 hits in 42X\c innings.

"He was throwing three pitches for strikes," Rowe said. "What can you do?"

Rowe said he hopes his team can get back to its winning ways.

Slippery Rock has lost four of its last five games on the heels of a six-game winning streak and hasn't scored a run in the last 26 innings.

"Our bats have gone quiet," Rowe lamented. "We can't bunch together any hits. We were hot one week and now we are cold and we are taking our lumps. That's just the way it goes sometimes."

North Coast 000 23x xxx — 5 9 0Slippery Rock 000 00x xxx — 0 2 0Game called in sixth because of lightningW: Joe Oropeza (5 IP) 5 K, 0 BB.

L: Andrew Morris (5 IP) 7 K, 1 BB.

North Coast (19-16): Evan Melendez 3B, 2B, 2-RBI; John Spatola 3-1B, 2-RBI; River McWilliams 1B, RBI

Slippery Rock (20-20): Nick Spisak 2B; Billy Messer 1B