Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

Erin Holloway (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) tossed a one-hit shutout and Megan McCormick (Evans City/Seneca Valley) and Jen Beaver (Chester Springs/Owen J. Roberts) combined to drive in seven runs in an 11-0 victory over Shepherd in IUP's season opener Wednesday in Shepherdstown, W.Va.

The Rams (4-4) bounced back to take a 9-2 victory in the nightcap.

Holloway, a senior making her 100th career appearance in the circle, struck out nine and walked only one in posting her 22nd shutout. She is already the IUP career strikeout leader and increased her total to 766.

She got all the support she needed in the first when McCormick, a third team All-American last season, singled in a pair runs. Stefanie Poates walked and came all the way around on a pair of passed balls and a Shepherd error.

The Crimson Hawks blew the game open with eight runs in the fifth. McCormick had her second two-run single of the game, Dee Eppinger (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) drove in a run with a base hit, Kristen Tunno (Seaford, Va./Grafton) added a sacrifice fly and Beaver capped the frame with a three-run homer.

Holloway never gave the Rams a chance to get back in the game. She struck out the side in the second and had two whiffs each in the first, third and fourth innings. When Holloway retired Shepherd in order in the fifth, the 8-run rule was enforced.

IUP jumped out in front 1-0 in the first inning of the second game when Marissa Leslie (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel) walked, stole second and scored on a McCormick fielder's choice. But Shepherd finally got on the scoreboard, getting four hits and four runs in the fourth off Crimson Hawk starter Kelly King (Nazareth/Bethlehem Catholic).

Monica Iachini (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel), Kelsey Ferguson (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) and McCormick had consecutive singles in the sixth to make it 4-2, but IUP could not get any closer despite having runners on second and third and only one out. The Rams then put it away with five more runs in the bottom of the inning.

Nichole Pitcock limited the Crimson Hawks to six hits and struck out seven in a complete game for Shepherd. King struck out four for IUP.

The Crimson Hawks head to Florida this weekend and will play 12 games in a span of eight days at the Rebel Games in Kissimmee. The trip begins with games against Southern Indiana and Edinboro on Saturday.