WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Zach Chinchilla (Ambridge, Pa./Quigley Catholic) allowed just one run in game two, helping the Crimson Hawks rebound from an opening game loss to post a 3-1 victory, splitting the doubleheader with Winston-Salem State on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Crimson Hawks game two victory came after a late 6-5 loss to Winston-Salem in the opener as they split the four-game weekend set with the Rams in North Carolina.
 
Chinchilla went 6.2 innings in IUP's win, striking out five while allowing five hits to earn the victory. Justin Charles (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) entered in the seventh and didn't allow a run and getting the final seven outs to pick up the save. Charles allowed one hit and struck out two in the nine inning contest.
 
Scott Hess (Erie/Erie Cathedral Prep) gave the Crimson Hawks the led with a solo homerun to left field in the first inning. IUP picked up its second run in the third inning, capitalizing on an infield error to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Chinchilla scattered the five hits, allowing two in the third inning as Winston-Salem brought across a run on a sacrifice fly to cut IUP's lead to 2-1. Charles entered with two on and two out in the seventh, getting the third out before leaving the Rams scoreless the rest of the way.
 
IUP picked up its insurance run in the seventh, bringing another around with the help of an infield error by the Rams.
 
Hess and Chris Schaedel (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) each had two hits in the game.
 
The Crimson Hawks had bad luck with errors in the opener as they cost them the win in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
IUP took a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth on the help of RBI hits by Austin Mock (State College, Pa./State College) and Mike Lupia (Middletown/Middletown). Rick Jones (New Castle/Laurel) ended up bringing in the go-ahead run as Mock crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly. The Crimson Hawks took that lead into the bottom of the final inning with the Rams putting the tying run on third with two outs. That tying run crossed the plate on an outfield error that put the batter at third base before he ultimately scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
 
The Crimson Hawks scored one run in both the second and fourth innings while Winston-Salem scored two each in the third and fifth innings to take a 4-2 lead heading to the sixth.
 
Lupia had two hits while Jones knocked in two of IUP's runs. Hunter Bigler (Washington/Trinity) got the start on the mound, striking out three and giving up two earned runs in four innings. Zac LaNeve (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) and Mock, who was charged with the loss, also saw split time on the mound for the Crimson Hawks.
 
The Crimson Hawks return to North Carolina in two weeks to face off against Chowan in a four-game set on Feb. 28 and March 1.