Box Score

GREENSBURG, PA – Steven Cooke fanned 13 batters in seven innings of work but one big inning for Seton Hill helped the Griffins defeat IUP 3-1 in non-conference baseball action on Saturday afternoon.

Cooke dropped his first game of the season and moves to 2-1 after giving up nine hits and three earned runs. He had a pair of three-strikeout innings and three two-strikeout frames in the loss.

Ironically, it was Cooke's three-strikeout third inning in which the Griffins scored all three of their runs to take an early lead. With the leadoff runner on Cooke fanned the second batter before a triple down the right field line scored the first run of the game. A second strikeout was sandwiched around a pair of run-scoring singles while the third came with a runner on third to end the threat.

The Crimson Hawks collected seven hits on the day but didn't get their best scoring chance until the top of the fifth when Austin Mock (State College/State College) and John Beatty (New Castle/Mohawk) led off with back-to-back singles. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position with just one out but the Griffins got out of any trouble with a groundball double play.

IUP picked up its run in the seventh as Aaron Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) had knocked a one-out triple to right center, scoring on a sacrifice fly to right by Mock.  

The Crimson Hawks threatened in the ninth as a double by Tyler Mroz (Pittsburgh/Chartiers Valley) and a single by Troy Foster (Shamong, NJ/Seneca) put a pair of runners in scoring position with just one out. Lupia was then hit by a pitch to load the bases but an infield pop out followed by a ground out would end the threat and the game.

Foster finished 2-for-4 as six different batters collected hits for IUP.

The Crimson Hawks drop to 4-4 on the season. They'll play Clarion on Sunday in a doubleheader at The Point Stadium in Johnstown. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m.