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ATHENS, WV - The bats were on display in West Virginia Saturday afternoon as the IUP baseball team opened up the 2013 season with a high-scoring split with Concord. The Crimson Hawks posted a four-run fourth inning en route to a 7-5 win in game one, but were unable to stifle the Mountain Lions offense in game two, falling 11-6 in a nine inning affair.

IUP 7, Concord 5

Robbie Zinsmeister (Hatfield/North Penn) kicked off the Crimson Hawks 2013 campaign in style with a leadoff homer to left in the top of the first to spark IUP to a 7-5 win over the Mountain Lions in game one.

The Crimson Hawks would jump all over Concord in game one, posting runs in the first and second and four in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead before the Mountain Lions even tallied a hit. Zinsmeister notched his second RBI of the afternoon in the fourth with a single that plated John Beatty (New Castle/Mohawk), and Dylan Tice (Perkasie/Pennridge) followed with a double that would score two more runs to give IUP ace Stephen Cooke (Severn, MD/Archbishop Curley) plenty of cushion to work with.

Tice was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored in game one, while Zinsmeister finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, three runs scored and the game's lone home run.

Concord would respond in a big way, however, posting a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the sixth to slice the IUP lead to just two heading into the seventh. The Mountain Lions would look to mount one last rally in the home half of the inning, but closer Brett Quiggle (Weedville/St. Marys) would shut the door with a scoreless inning to salt away the Crimson Hawks first win of the year.

Cooke cruised through the first three innings on the bump and would fan 11 batters in five innings of work, but was charged with all five of the Mountain Lions runs. Jared Weed (Washington Crossing/Council Rock North) would give up just one hit in a scoreless inning of relief, before Quiggle came in to tally the save in the seventh.

Concord 11, IUP 6

Rick Jones (New Castle/Laurel) went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his first action with the Crimson Hawks but a three-run fifth and five-run sixth inning propelled Concord to a 10-6 win over IUP in game two.

The Mountain Lions would strike first in game two with a pair of runs in the first, but the Crimson Hawks would counter with a run in the second and four in the top of the fifth to hold a 5-2 advtange heading into the bottom half of the frame. Ryan Uhl (St. Marys/St. Marys) had the big hit in the inning when he smacked a double to left that scored Tice and Zinsmeister.

The lead would be short-lived, however, as Concord would score three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie it 5-5, and five runs in the sixth thanks to a Devin Smith grand slam off of reliever Matt Szukics (Hainesport, NJ/Rancocas Valley).

Kyle Zambanini (Jerome/Conemaugh Twp.) got the start for the Crimson Hawks in game two and allowed four earned runs in 4.2 innings, while Quiggle gave up four earned runs in relief. Aaron Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) and David McNeill (Pittsburgh/Our Lady of Sacred Heart) each went 2-for-3 in game two, while Smith and Joey Miller each had four RBI for Concord.

The teams will square off in another doubleheader tomorrow morning, with first pitch in game one set for 11:00 a.m.