RELEASE DATE: 4/19/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HOSHAUER HITS TWO HOME RUNS AND MILLS BELTS GRAND SLAM TO LEAD MANSFIELD PAST SLIPPERY ROCK IN SLUGFEST

MANSFIELD – D.J. Hoshauer (Hamburg/Hamburg) hit two home runs and Matt Mills (Clifton, VA/Centerville) smacked a grand slam to lead Mansfield to a 18-12 slugfest over Slippery Rock in the nightcap of a PSAC interdivisional doubleheader at Shaute Field. Mansfield dropped the opener 13-11.

It was a hitter’s day all afternoon with the two teams combining for 69 hits including 14 home runs.

Mansfield fell behind 4-0 after one inning before David Meldrum (Venetia/ Peters Township) blasted a three-run home run well over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the second. Slippery Rock would increase its lead to 6-3 with two runs in the top of the third, but the Mountaineers came storming back to score five in the bottom of the inning, including two runs on two-run home run by Hoshauer. Dan Kochenderfer (Lewistown/Lewistown) followed Hoshauer with a solo home run.

The Mountaineers scored five more runs in the fourth innings with Hoshauer leading off with a solo home run  and Matt Mills hit a grand slame in the bottom of the sixth inning to round out the Mountaineers scoring.

In the opener, Slippery Rock scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for a 13-11 run. Eric Baker (Apalachin,NY/Owego) and Mills each homered.

Marty Rakaczewski (Wilkes-Barre/Hanover) finished both games on the mound for the Mountaineers to set a new school record for appearances in a season with 25.

The Mountaineeers improved to 25-17 and will travel to Clarion on Tuesday.

GAME ONE

Slippery Rock            014     300     5          13-21-0

Mansfield                   401     500     1          11-17-0

Slippery Rock (27-18): Colin Scott, Adam Ritts (4) (W, 3-2) and Brad Wilson

2b – Chad Rowe, Billy Wolfe, Joe Pascarella

HR – Nate Statzer, Billy Wolfe, Jason Curry

RBI – Wolfe 4, Curry 4, Pascarella 3, Statzer 2

Mansfield (24-17): Josh Haines, Matt Baker (3), Marty Rakaczewski (4) (L, 4-3) and Scott Erickson

2b – Erickson 2, Brett Shockless, Travis Wurster

HR – Eric Baker (8), Matt Mills (6)              RBI – Baker 3, Erickson 3, Mills 2, Josh Rearick, DJ Hoshauer, Wurster

GAME TWO

Slippery Rock            402     004     2          12-15-5

Mansfield                   035     514     x          18-16-3

Slippery Rock (27-19): Nick Armstrong (L, 2-3), Scott Rice (4), Josh Rape (6) and Joe Pascarella

HR – Nate Statzer, Jason Curry, Ben Marzullo

RBI – Curry 3, Marzullo 3, Billy Wolfe 2, Statzer, Pascarella, Dave Gonos

Mansfield (25-17): Bryan King, Jeff Papi (W, 7-2), Marty Rakaczewski and DJ Hoshauer

HR – Hoshauer 2 (8), Dan Kochenderfer (1), Matt Mills (7), Dave Meldrum (1)

RBI – Mills 5, Hoshauer 3, Meldrum 3, Rearick 2, Dochenderfer, Stu Sumner