INDIANA, Pa. – Three Crimson Hawks hit game one home runs, highlighted by a grand slam from Scott Hess (Erie, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep), as IUP defeated Slippery Rock 13-11 in the opening game of a divisional baseball doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Dougherty Field.
 
Slippery Rock bounced back to take game two by a score of 13-3. The Crimson Hawks head into Saturday with an 11-16 overall record and a 4-6 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. Slippery Rock is now 7-22 and 2-8.
 
Hess finished 3-for-6 with six RBI and two runs scored on the afternoon. Hunter Bigler (Washington, Pa./Trinity) and Cory Wheeler (Butler, Pa./Butler) also knocked out homers, combining for four RBI.
 
Rick Jones (New Castle, Pa./Laurel) was one of four IUP players with three hits, going a combined 3-for-6 with two doubles, a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored.
 
IUP scored in each of the first four innings of the opener, combating a four-run second by Slippery Rock with seven runs over the next two innings. The Crimson Hawks added three more in the fourth to take a 12-5 lead to the fifth.
 
Both teams scored in the sixth and Slippery Rock made it a game in the seventh with three runs before Dan Sepic (York, Pa./Central York) got the final out on the mound to preserve the victory. Sepic earned the save, his third of the year, while Christian McClure (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) picked up the win in the start.
 
It was Slippery Rock that scored in each of the first four innings of game two, using a five-run third to take an 11-3 lead to the fifth inning. SRU added two more in the seventh to secure doubleheader split.
 
These two teams wrap up their season series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Slippery Rock.
 
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP baseball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPbaseball.