vs
| 04/07/25 - Away | 10-8 W |
| 04/27/24 - Away | 10-2 W |
| 04/13/24 - Home | 10-12 L |
| 05/04/23 - Home | 5-3 W |
| 04/05/23 - Away | 8-3 W |
| + 5 more games |
Slippery Rock is 8-2 against Grove City since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The Rockets will be playing at home against the Eagles at 4:00 p.m. Slippery Rock's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Grove City's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Monday, Slippery Rock came up short against Wilmington and fell 7-3. The Rockets have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Isaac McCandless was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, he tossed 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and six unearned) runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, 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.
Meanwhile, Grove City can bid farewell to their seven-game losing streak thanks to their game on Monday. They skirted past Hickory 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since April 1st.
Like Slippery Rock, Grove City also got a great game from a two-way player: Layne Rider. Throwing, Rider struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Meanwhile, Max Knouse pitched 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, Nolan Renick was excellent, getting 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.
Grove City's victory bumped their record up to 3-9. As for Slippery Rock, their loss dropped their record down to 9-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Slippery Rock has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grove City struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Slippery Rock skirted past Grove City 10-8 in their previous matchup on April 7th. Will the Rockets repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
