Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

IUP rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to edge Clarion 4-3 and complete a PSAC West doubleheader sweep Thursday at Owen Dougherty Field.

The Crimson Hawks won the first game 5-3 and improved to 17-21 overall while evening their PSAC West record at 9-9. With six division games left, IUP is in third place with the top four qualifying for the conference playoffs. Clarion dropped to 8-25 and 6-12.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh of the nightcap, Dylan Songer (Baden/North Allegheny) and Brett Quiggle (Weedville/St. Marys) led off with singles. Andrew Welch (DuBois, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) followed with a base hit to score pinch runner Jake Shaffer to tie the game, and with one out Frank Sirolli (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) lifted a sacrifice fly to shallow left to plate Quiggle with the game winner.

IUP was held in check through five innings by Clarion starter Pat Golden, managing only three hits while falling behind 3-0. But with two outs and nobody on in the sixth, Vern Powell (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) and Mike Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) had consecutive RBI doubles to pull IUP within one.

In the top of the seventh, Clarion had a runner at second with one out when Stephen Cooke (Severn, MD/Archbishop Curley) relieved Pat Bradley (Pittsburgh/North Allegheny) and struck out Ken Morgan and Scott Berkes to keep the IUP deficit at 3-2. Cooke earned the win to even his record at 4-4.

Bradley worked four shutout innings in relief of starter Ryan Sylvia (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) and allowed only three hits and struck out two.

In the first game, IUP took a 1-0 lead in the second on a single by Aaron Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) and a triple by Quiggle. The Golden Eagles tied it in the third on a controversial call on a grounder to second by Berkes.

Berkes was initially ruled out by the base umpire, but was overruled by the plate umpire, who said that Songer pulled his foot off first base on a low from second baseman Robbie Zinsmeister (Hatfield/North Penn). The call allowed Jerico Weitzel to score from third to tie it at 1.

An RBI single by Mike Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) in the bottom of the third broke the tie, and Chris Douglas (Canonsburg/Canon-McMillan) kept the Crimson Hawks in front in the fourth when he pitched out of a bases loaded, no out situation with a strikeout and double play grounder.

Singles by Songer and Quiggle and a groundout by Sawka added to IUP's lead in the bottom of the fourth. Clarion added a run in the fifth to make it 3-2, but the Crimson Hawks scored twice in their half of the inning on a solo homer by Sirolli, his second of the year, and a run-scoring double by Songer.

The Golden Eagles scored their final run in the sixth on a walk and a pair of two-out singles. Ben Weimer (New Alexandria/Linsly School) relieved Douglas and allowed one hit and struck out one in 1 1-3 innings of relief to gain his first save. Douglas improved to 4-3 with 5 2-3 innings on the mound, allowing eight hits and three runs – two earned – with seven strikeouts.

The teams are scheduled to complete their four-game series Friday at Pullman Park in Butler, weather permitting.