Boxscore

Robbie Zinsmeister (Hatfield/North Penn) lined a three-run double to highlight a five-run IUP sixth inning, and the Crimson Hawks held on for a 6-5 win over top-seeded Millersville in the opening round of the PSAC tournament Wednesday at Point Stadium in Johnstown.

IUP (20-27) will face Bloomsburg (22-19), an 11-6 winner over Slippery Rock, Thursday at 6:30. The other first round games saw California defeat Shippensburg 13-6 and Mercyhurst edge East Stroudsburg 6-5 in 11 innings.

Millersville, ranked No. 8 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball, dropped to 37-9 and will play Slippery Rock in an elimination game Thursday afternoon.

With the game tied at 1, Aaron Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) was hit by a pitch and Dylan Songer (Baden/North Allegheny) singled to lead off the top of the sixth. One out later, Andrew Welch (DuBois, Pa./DuBois Central Catholic) reached on an infield base hit to load the bases, and Cory Sawka (Uniontown/Uniontown) reached on a bunt single to give the Crimson Hawks the lead and chase Millersville starter Derek Kline.

Zinsmeister greeted relief pitcher Jason Long by lining a shot into the gap in left center to clear the bases and boost the IUP advantage to 5-1. Zinsmeister took third on the throw home and scored the fifth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Frank Sirolli (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson).

Earlier in the game, Zinsmeister hit a hard liner that was grabbed in right by Corey Phelan and flied out to right with two on and two out in the third.

IUP starter Greg Stewart (Kittanning/Elderton) walked the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth and was relieved by Christian Wolosik (Pittsburgh/North Catholic), who proceeded to retire all three batters he faced to quell the Millersville threat. The Marauders did reach Wolosik for three runs in the seventh, including a two-run single by Carlos Medina and an RBI single by Ryan Chesler.

Ben Weimer (New Alexandria/Linsly School), the third IUP pitcher of the night, worked the final two innings, allowing an RBI double to Chesler before striking out Jeff Heisey on three pitches to strand the tying run in scoring position. Weimer struck out four in earning his second save of the year and fanned the side in the ninth.

Stewart improved his record to 5-3 on the season, allowing five hits and one unearned run in five innings. None of his five walks came around to score and he struck out two.

The Crimson Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the first on the strength of two hits by IUP's All-PSAC West selections. Sirolli doubled with one out and Vern Powell (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) knocked him in with a ground single up the middle.

A double by Chris Edgar, a dropped popup and a hit batter led to a sacrifice fly by Mike August that tied the game in the third. Sawka and Zinsmeister singled to start the fifth but IUP was unable to break the tie. The Marauders had a chance in the bottom of the fifth with two on and one out but Stewart got August to ground into a double play.