Win or go home with a losing record.

Those were the choices Slippery Rock University's baseball team was faced with this morning following a 4-1 loss to West Chester in the first round of the PSAC Tournament Wednesday at Pullman Park.

The Rock (24-24-1) was scheduled to play Gannon (25-22) in an elimination game at 9:30 a.m. today at Pullman. A loss would end The Rock's season with a sub-.500 record for the first time since 1994.

SRU plays at 9:30 a.m. Friday should it win today.

“If we lose to Gannon in this next game, we don't belong here,” veteran SRU coach Jeff Messer said. “Hitting has been our crutch all season.

“One run and five hits isn't going to get it done against anybody in this tournament. It's as simple as that.”

No. 14 West Chester, ranked No. 1 in all of NCAA Division II earlier this year, received a route-going performance from right-hander Jordan Lehman. He struck out six and threw 78 of his 110 pitches for strikes.

“He saved our bullpen and that's what you want in the first game of a double-elimination tournament,” Rams coach Jad Prachniak said. “The team that wins this could well be the team with the fresher bullpen at the tail end of the tournament.”

Lehman entered the game with a 3-2 record and 3.44 earned run average. West Chester has two of the top four pitchers in the PSAC and Lehman isn't one of them.

But he's not far behind, according to Prachniak.

“Depending on the day, he could be our No. 2 to No. 4 pitcher,” the coach said. “We only stretched him out late in the season and that's when Jordan joined our rotation.”

Lehman retired The Rock on 10 or fewer pitches five times in nine innings.

“He kept the ball down and when he needed to make a pitch, he made a pitch,” Messer said.

The Rock had runners at first and second with two outs in the first inning when Lehman picked Ben Bechtol off second base. Matt Accardi opened the SRU second with a double to left and moved to third on an infield out.

Accardi was stranded when Brandon Myers struck out and Lee Foxton bounced to the mound.

“I can't say those innings cost us the game, but you want to cash in on early chances and put some pressure on the pitcher,” Messer said. “We didn't do that.”

SRU got the leadoff man on in the fifth and seventh inngs, only to ground into double plays. The Rock trailed 2-0 in the sixth when Derek Carr singled, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on John Shaffer's single to center.

Rock starter Zach Jeney worked seven innings and struck out nine, but he walked three and hit two others. He hit Joe Wendle with the bases loaded in the third and a Chris Pula sacrifice fly gave the Rams the lead they never lost.

Jeney hit Justin Lamborn with a pitch to begin the sixth. Lamborn scored on a two-out single by No. 8 hitter Josh Heyne. West Chester concluded the scoring in the eighth when Pula doubled to left and crossed the plate on a squeeze bunt by Lamborn.

“We got more out of Zach than I thought, pitching him on four days rest,” Messer said.

West Chester plays Kutztown — a 5-4 winner over Gannon — at 3:30 p.m. today.

“Winning that first game is so important, no matter who you play,” Prachniak said. “All of these teams are good.”

Slippery Rock 000 001 000 — 1 5 0West Chester 002 001 01x — 4 7 0W: Jordan Lehman 9IP (6K, 2BB).

L: Zach Jeney 7IP (9K, 3BB).

Slippery Rock (24-24-1): Derek Carr 1B, John Shaffer 2-1B RBI, Matt Accardi 2B, Carter Haponski 1B

West Chester (34-9): Joe Wendle 2-2B RBI, Chris Pula 1B RBI, Justin Lamborn RBI, Matt Baer 1B, Josh Heyne 2B 1B RBI, Reid Pulford 1B