John Shaffer fell victim to Gannon’s defense in the first inning.

Gannon was victimized by Shaffer in the last frame Thursday morning at Pullman Park.

Slippery Rock University’s junior first baseman singled over left fielder Dylan Schwegler’s head with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, sending SRU to a 3-2 PSAC Baseball Tournament victory at Pullman Park.

The win kept The Rock alive in the double-elimination tournament. SRU was scheduled to face West Chester — a 4-2 loser to Kutztown — at 9:30 a.m. today in another elimination game. A win there would pit SRU against Shippensburg at 3:30 p.m.

“This one wasn’t exactly pretty ... We didn’t crush the ball today, but we’re still playing,” SRU coach Jeff Messer said.

All three of SRU’s runs were unearned. Gannon used small ball to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

Mike Brosius opened the Golden Knights’ third inning with a bunt single, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Tim Lipp’s single to left against Rock starter Lou Trivino. Eric Bradley walked with one out in the Gannon sixth, moved up two bases on Trivino’s errant pickoff attempt and scored on an infield out.

Trivino entered the game with a 1.97 earned run average, best in the PSAC. He threw 114 pitches in seven-plus innings, striking out six and walking five.

“We knew Lou would keep us in this game,” Messer said. “It was just a matter of whether we would score enough runs to win.”

Gannon sophomore starter David Spaeder worked six innings and threw 99 pitches.

With two outs and runners at first and third in the SRU sixth, Brandon Myers grounded to second. Second baseman Bradley bobbled the ball and Gannon failed to get the force play at second, enabling SRU to get on the board. An errant pickoff throw by catcher Nico Baldelli allowed Myers to score the tying run.

“It’s tough when errors cost you runs, especially in a tight game like this one,” Gannon coach Nate Cocolin said.

North Allegheny graduate Ryan Oglesby, who threw only seven innings all season because of elbow tendinitis, retired all five batters he faced since relieving Trivino with one out in the eighth.

“Lou had thrown enough pitches, but (Evan) Baglieri is a great hitter and was leading off the eighth for them,” Messer said. “Lou had figured out how to handle him, so I wanted him to face Baglieri.”

Matt Curtis began The Rock ninth by hitting a chopper in front of the plate. First baseman Ryan Turner couldn’t handle the catcher’s throw and Curtis reached safely. Derek Carr and Lee Foxton — after both failed to get bunts down — walked and were hit by a pitch, respectively.

Shaffer then drove a pitch deep over the drawn-in outfield for the winning hit.

“Their left fielder made a diving catch to rob John of an RBI in the first inning,” Messer said. “He hit this one plenty deep enough.

“Having Oglesby available to us makes a huge difference in one-run games. We lost 13 of these things without him.”

“I was shut down for four to six weeks in late March,” Oglesby said. “I still wanted to pitch again this year, so I came backafter four weeks. If I’m needed again (Friday), I’m good to go.”

Oglesby didn’t mind watching his teammates load the bases in the bottom of the ninth.

“Best feeling in the world, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.

Messer planned to pitch Garret Peterson, a freshman right-hander drafted by the Minnesota Twins last year, this morning.

“We’ve got some pitching left,” he said.

Gannon 001 001 000 — 2 6 3Slippery Rock 000 002 001 — 3 7 2W: Ryan Oglesby 1.2IP (2K, 0BB).

L: Landon Wahl 2IP (0K, 1BB).

Gannon (25-23): Mike Brosius 2B 1B, Dylan Schwegler 1B, Tim Lipp 2-1B RBI, Eric Bradley 1B, Nico Baldelli RBI

Slippery Rock (25-24): Lee Foxton 1B, John Shaffer 2-1B RBI, Will Kengor 2B, Kevin Jovanovich 1B, Matt Accardi 1B, Brandon Myers 1B