Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

INDIANA, PA - The Crimson Hawks belted three homers in an 8-1 game one win and got a diving catch from Ryan Uhl (St. Marys/St. Marys) in right field to finish off a tight 3-2 win in game two as IUP swept West Liberty in non-conference baseball action at Dougherty Field.

The Crimson Hawks would get a pair of solo shots early when Uhl blasted one over the fence in left center in the second and Aaron Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) smacked one to left in the third.

West Liberty got a run back in its half of the fourth on a two-out single to center as the Hilltoppers made it a 2-1 IUP lead.

After just two hits through five innings, the IUP bats came alive in the sixth, starting with a double to right by Troy Foster (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) with Aaron Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) on first to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Dylan Songer (Baden/North Allegheny) then singled up the middle to bring home both runners as IUP took a 4-1 lead.

The hits kept coming as Uhl doubled down the left field line to again put two runners in scoring position before Austin Mock (State College/State College) drilled on over the fence in left for a three-run homer, making it a six-run IUP advantage. Later in the inning with John Beatty (New Castle/Mohawk) on third via a walk, passed ball and ground out, Robbie Zinsmeister (Hatfield/North Penn) collected the fifth IUP hit of the inning with a double down the left field line to give the Crimson Hawks the 8-1 lead.

Closing out the game in the seventh was starter Stephen Cooke (Severn, MD/Archbishop Curley), who got the complete game win to improve to 3-0 on the year. It was Cooke's second complete game of the season as he scattered five hits and one walk in his seven innings, striking out five.

Six different players combined for the Crimson Hawks seven hits in game one, including a 2-for-3 performance by Uhl.

Game two started out similar with a run by the Crimson Hawks in the second, however this one came a little differently as Dylan Tice (Perkasie/Pennridge) singled to left, bringing home Uhl who had opened up the inning with a single of his own.

IUP picked up two more the next inning with the help of a passed ball, as Foster moved to second after a walk then came around to score when Songer singled to right. Three batters later after Mock reached on a fielder's choice, he would score when Brett Quiggle (Weedville/St. Marys) knocked a double to right as the Crimson Hawks went up 3-0.

West Liberty came back in the fourth to put a pair of runners on with a walk followed by a single. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position before a groundout scored a run from third and moved the runner on second up a base. But that would be as much as the Hilltoppers would get as starter Greg Stewart (Kittanning/Elderton) got out of the jam by fanning the final batter.

After two straight scoreless innings kept the IUP advantage at 3-1, the top of the seventh got interesting as West Liberty threatened. Mock would enter on the mound but the Hilltoppers promptly get a runner on base with an error. A walk put two runners on before a flyout to right finally made the first out of the inning. A line out to center the very next batter made things a little better for IUP but a pinch hitter singled through the left side, scoring one to cut the IUP lead to 3-2.

A walk would load the bases with two outs a liner to right field was snagged by a diving Uhl to end the game.

Stewart went to 2-0 with the win, allowing two hits and walking just one with five strikeouts in four innings pitched. Jared Weed (Washington Crossing/Council Rock North) went 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts before Mock came in to close it out for his fourth save of the year.

Quiggle and Zinsmeister each had two hits as the Crimson Hawks had eight in game two.

The Crimson Hawks (11-12-1), winners of three straight, will finish off the weekend series with West Liberty on Sunday as the doubleheader in West Virginia has been moved back a day due to oncoming rain.