Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore

Stephanie Poates hit her fifth and sixth home runs of the season as the Crimson Hawks played to a split with Mansfield in PSAC Central action Saturday afternoon.

IUP (24-5, 7-3 PSAC Central) earned a win in game two 12-5 after Mansfield (8-13, 1-7) edged out the Crimson Hawks 6-4 in the opener.

The Crimson Hawks trailed 5-4 going to the top of the sixth inning, but scored twice on a two-run blast by Poates that scored Marissa Leslie (Claysburg/Claysburg-Kimmel) who had walked earlier in the inning.

Poates and Ashley Strack (Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop) provided the insurance in the seventh inning. Poates blasted a grand slam for her sixth RBI and third run scored. Strack blasted a two-run homer to close out the scoring.

Kelly King (Nazareth/Bethlehem Catholic) picked up the win in the circle allowing five runs, four earned, on 10 hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 5 2-3 innings of work. Erin Holloway (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) picked up the save striking out three walking one in 1 1-3 innings.

In the opener the Mounties scored four runs in the bottom of the first off of IUP starter Holloway to take an early 4-0 lead.

The Crimson Hawks battled back with a run in the second inning when Mary Ward (Hatfield/North Penn) singled home Michelle Bivona (Thorndale, Pa./Coatesville). IUP cut the lead to 4-3 with a pair of runs in the fifth on back to back RBI hits by Megan McCormick (Evans City/Seneca Valley) and Poates.

The Mounties got a home run from Stephanie Simmerth in the fifth and Nicole Yost in the sixth to hold off the IUP charge.

Holloway lost for just the second time all season pitching six innings allowing six runs, five earned, with six strikeouts and only two walks.

The Crimson Hawks host Clarion at Podbielski Field on Tuesday at 2:30 in PSAC Central action.