INDIANA, Pa. – Sophomore
Amanda Parrish (Dysart, Pa./Altoona) went 5-for-7 with a double and drove in two runs to help the Crimson Hawks to a softball sweep of visiting Pitt-Johnstown at Podbielski Field on Wednesday afternoon.
IUP won by scores of 4-1 and 8-1 to improve to 18-12 overall and 5-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Central.
Three IUP pitchers –
Lauren Zola (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle),
Megan Risinger (Creekside, Pa./Marion Center) and
Brooke Darling (Springville, Pa./Elk Lake) – combined to strike out 12 batters while giving up 11 hits and two earned runs. Zola went the distance in the opener, fanning eight batters while giving up eight hits. Risinger picked up the win in game two, giving up one run on two hits in the four-inning start, while Darling came on to toss three innings of shutout ball in relief.
In addition to Parrish's five hits,
Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) went 4-for-8 with a triple and RBI while scoring three times.
Rachel Francis (Jefferson, Ohio/Jefferson) and
Taylor Mercurio (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) each went 3-for-5 and combined for three RBI and four runs scored.
Game one was scoreless until the fifth, when
Amy Fairman (Creekside, Pa. /Marion Center) knocked a run-scoring single to center. IUP added three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by Parrish's two-run double deep down the left field line. UPJ scored its run in the seventh, but Zola got out of trouble and fanned the final batter.
It didn't take as long in game two for IUP to score, as the Crimson Hawks plated four in the opening inning to take the early lead. Fairman again got things going with an RBI single, followed by run-scoring hits from Mercurio and Francis.
The Crimson Hawks took a 6-1 lead in the fourth on the strength of an RBI triple to right center by Mercer. A run-scoring double off the bat of
Lauren Goetz (Cleveland, Ohio/Cuyahoga Heights) in the fifth was part of two more for IUP, easily earning the sweep.
The Crimson Hawks are scheduled to host Mercyhurst on Thursday, with a trip to Lock Haven coming on Saturday.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_Softball.
