DUBOIS, Pa. –
Ryan Uhl (St. Marys, Pa./St. Marys) broke IUP's all-time home run record with a solo shot in the opening game as the Crimson Hawks split a conference baseball doubleheader with Clarion at Showers Field.
The senior first baseman set the new record at 25 with a blast over a two-story clubhouse in left field in the third inning. It broke his tie with IUP Hall of Famer – and current University of Virginia associate head coach – Kevin McMullan.
The round tripper was Uhl's 12th of the season, one shy of tying Kyle Stryker's single season program record of 13 in 2010. The team co-captain had eight as a freshman in 2012, following that up with four as a sophomore and one last season. His 12 this year have come in 22 games and 92 plate appearances, as he's averaging one every 6.4 at-bats.
It was one of 10 home runs hit by the Crimson Hawks on the day as they busted out with a 30-10 victory in the opener before falling 8-5 in game two of the doubleheader.
The 30 runs came on 26 hits, the highest single game totals in both categories by IUP since at least 2003. The Crimson Hawks scored in six of the seven innings, including 14 in the second alone. 10 players recorded hits, with
Austin Mock (State College, Pa./State College),
Zac LaNeve (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) and
Chris Schaedel (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) each tallying four. Five other players had multiple hits.
Six home runs were hit by the Crimson Hawks, as Mock sailed two over the fence. In addition to Mock and Uhl,
Tyler Mroz (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley), LaNeve and Schaedel had the other home runs. Mroz's was a grand slam that highlighted the 14-run second inning. Schaedel also had two of IUP's five doubles in the game.
Mock and LaNeve each scored five runs while
Mike Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) crossed the plate four times. Mock drew three walks and with his four hits on the day, reached on all seven plate appearances. Uhl also walked three times to go with his two hits.
Mroz finished with six RBI while Schaedel drove in five runs, Mock drove in four, and
Jonathan O'Neill (Pittsburgh/Chartiers Valley),
Rick Jones (New Castle/Laurel), LaNeve and
Chris Calliari (Brockway/Brockway) and brought in three each.
Hunter Bigler (Washington/Trinity) was credited with the win on the mound, striking out three and giving up one hit in two relief innings.
Kyle Zaorski (Reading/Muhlenberg) started and gave way to Bigler in the second, while
Nate Dickey (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) and
Dan Clark (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) also came in from the bullpen.
There were six total home runs hit in game two, including four by the Crimson Hawks which accounted for all five runs.
Jones hit two of those homers, both solo shots in the second and sixth innings. Lupia led off the third with a solo shot and O'Neill hit a two-run blast four batters later.
Clarion scored twice each in the second and third innings and picked up another four runs in the fourth to get the win. Golden Eagles' pitching limited IUP to six hits in game two.
Christian McClure (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) took the game two loss, giving up six earned in three innings.
Justin Charles (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York) and Mock split the final three innings in relief, as Mock struck out two and didn't give up a hit in nearly two innings of work.
The Crimson Hawks have now completed their four-game set with Clarion and head into this weekend's scheduled series with California (PA) with a 9-13 overall record and a 5-7 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division.
IUP will open the series at home on Friday and will continue it at Cal on Saturday. First pitch of both days is set for 1 p.m.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk.
