SLIPPERY ROCK - Forget about the cold, Slippery Rock University baseball coach Jeff Messer was worried about the rust.

He needn't have bothered.

The Rock didn't commit a fielding error, struck out just five times at the plate and received two complete-game pitching efforts Saturday in winning a pair of 5-2 games over Mansfield at Critchfield Park.

The games were played in 40-degree temperatures that felt even colder with a steady wind blowing in. And The Rock was playing its first game at home after a week's wait because of inclement weather.

"I was really concerned about how we would play today," Messer admitted. "We worked on this field for 12 hours yesterday getting it ready.

"You'd hate to do all that to come out and lose two games. And Mansfield is the best team we've played to this point."

Like The Rock, the Mountaineers are expected to be title contenders in the PSAC.

"If you're going to win this league, you have to go through them eventually," Messer said.

SRU pitchers Rocky D'Angelo and Colin Scott went through their bats Saturday.

D'Angelo entered the first game with a 3-0 record and a 0.86 earned run average. He struck out seven and allowed all four of Mansfield's hits in the fourth inning, when the Mountaineers scored both of their runs.

D'Angelo walked three batters in the first two innings as SRU (15-1) played for only the second time in 13 days since returning from Florida.

"The adrenaline was going and Rocky was trying to throw the ball by everybody," Messer said. "Once he settled down and allowed them to put the ball in play, he pitched his usual dependable game."

Scott threw 96 pitches in the nightcap, 65 for strikes. Of his first 42 pitches, 31 found the strike zone.

"Hitting comes and goes, but pitching and defense can always be there," said SRU second baseman Chase Rowe. "Our pitching has been phenomenal so far."

The Rock entered the twinbill leading the PSAC in team earned run average at 3.10 and in batting average at .358. Mansfield began the day third in the league with a .323 batting average.

"We just didn't swing the bats well today," Mansfield coach Harry Hilson said. "With the weather being so cold, we haven't hit our stride yet."

Rowe certainly has hit his. The Knoch graduate entered the day ninth in the PSAC with a .426 bating average and collected five hits in six at-bats Saturday, including two doubles and three RBI.

He leads the team with 16 RBI in 16 games this season.

"I'm seeing the ball well and I'm not trying to do too much at the plate," he said.

Seven of SRU's 10 runs were scored with two outs.

"We didn't do that at all last year," Messer said of the two-out clutch hitting. "We seem to be doing it every game so far this year."

The biggest two-out hit of the day came from Karns City graduate Travis Trimbur. The sophomore outfielder delivered a two-out, two-run single to snap a scoreless tie in the fourth inning of the second game.

Trimbur was making his first start as a position player this spring after appearing in three games as a pitcher. He had to recover from shoulder surgery before he could swing a bat.

The hit came on only his second at-bat of the season and happened after Chris Tolliver was hit by an 0-2 pitch to load the bases.

"It was nerve-wracking," Trimbur said. "I was sitting dead-red on a fastball and got one."

SRU's 15-1 start is its best since 1968, when the team lost its opener and won its final 16 games in a rain-abbreviated campaign.

Notes:

SRU had four home doubleheaders canceled before finally playing Saturday. The Rock is scheduled to play 10 games in seven days, beginning Tuesday. … SRU is ranked No. 8 nationally in NCAA Division II. … Messer and Hilson have combined for 1,208 wins in 39 years of coaching at their respective schools.

First Game

Mansfield 000 200 0 - 2 4 1

Slippery Rock 003 020 x - 5 8 0

WP:

Rocky D'Angelo (7 IP) 7 strikeouts, 4 walks.

LP:

Nick Grove (6 IP) 2 strikeouts, 1 walk

Mansfield:

D.J. Hoshauer 1B, Travis Wurster 1B, Bret Shockless 1B RBI, Stuart Sumner 1B RBI

SRU:

Phil Butch 2-1B RBI, Matt Kozusko 1B RBI, Chase Rowe 2-2B 2-RBI, Billy Wolfe 1B RBI, Chris Tolliver 2B, Matt Messer 1B

Second Game

Mansfield 000 001 1 - 2 8 0

Slippery Rock 000 230 x - 5 11 0

WP:

Colin Scott (7 IP) 1 strikeout, 2 walks.

LP:

Adam Lorson (4

IP) 1 strikeout, 2 walks

Mansfield (9-9):

J.D. Druckenmiller 2B, Eric Baker 2B 1B RBI, D.J. Hoshauer 2-1B, Cody Rickabaugh 1B, Travis Wurster 1B, Brett Shockloss 1B RBI

SRU (15-1):

Phil Butch 2-1B, Matt Kozusko 2B, Chase Rowe 3-1B RBI, Brad Wilson 1B, Todd Schickling 2B, Chris Tolliver 2B 1B RBI, Travis Trimbur 1B 2-RBI

Tuesday:

Pitt-Johnstown @ SRU, 1 p.m.