Grove City is 2-8 against Slippery Rock since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Eagles will challenge the Rockets at 4:00 p.m. Grove City will be strutting in after a win while Slippery Rock will be coming in after a defeat.
Grove City took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against Hickory, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Eagles narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Hornets 5-4. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Eagles as it put an end to their seven-game losing streak.
Layne Rider
| 04/28/25 @ Hickory | 6 |
| 04/07/25 vs Slippery Rock | 5 |
| 04/01/25 vs Oil City | 5 |
| 03/18/25 vs Wilmington | 3 |
| 05/21/24 vs Meadville | 3 |
Layne Rider and Max Knouse made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Rider struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Knouse tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those six strikeouts gave Rider a new career-high. At bat, Rider got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two RBI, while Knouse went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nolan Renick, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one RBI. Jimmy Cooper also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Slippery Rock came up short against Wilmington on Monday and fell 7-3. The Rockets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Like Grove City, Slippery Rock also got a great game from a two-way player: Isaac McCandless. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off three hits. McCandless has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
McCandless wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jacob Kunsman, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Doug Popovec was another, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Grove City picked up their first road victory, bumping their record up to 3-9. As for Slippery Rock, the defeat was their first on the road , dropping their record down to 9-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Grove City has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Slippery Rock struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Grove City couldn't quite finish off Slippery Rock in their previous matchup on April 7th and fell 10-8. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
