WHEELING, W.Va. – Freshmen Kaitlyn Beers (Reynoldsville, Pa./DuBois Area High School) and Megan Little (Harrison City, Pa./Penn Trafford) each had four hits as IUP softball split a road doubleheader with Wheeling Jesuit on Thursday afternoon. IUP dropped the opening game 6-1 before rebounding for a 6-3 game two victory.
 
Sophomore Megan Risinger (Creekside, Pa./Marion Center) earned the win in the circle, striking out four while keeping Wheeling Jesuit through four relief innings of game two. She's now 4-0 on the season.
 
Beers had a pair of hits in each game, scoring twice while knocking in two more runs. Junior Bryanna Lonick (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) and sophomore Lauren Goetz (Cleveland, Ohio/Cuyahoga Heights) both had two hits in the game two victory.
 
Three IUP pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the doubleheader. Sophomore Lauren Zola (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) started game one, striking out eight in six innings of work. Senior Amanda Spindler (Brownsburg, Ind./Cathedral) struck out a pair in three innings in the game two start.
 
This was the first non-tournament action of the season for the Crimson Hawks, who are now 8-7 on the season. Wheeling Jesuit moves to 9-7 after the doubleheader.
 
Game 1: Wheeling Jesuit 6, IUP 1
Wheeling Jesuit did all of its damage against Zola in two innings, scoring three in the first and three more in the fifth on a combined seven hits and one error.
 
The Crimson Hawks put three total runners on in the first six innings, before getting on the board in the seventh with a Spindler groundout that scored Beers from third.
 
Game 2: IUP 6, Wheeling Jesuit 3
Each team scored once in the first inning, but the Crimson Hawks opened up a lead in the third with three runs. Mackenna Miller (Milton, Pa. /Milton) drove in Hannah Mercer (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) with a bases loaded groundout, before Lonick brought home Beers and Amanda Parrish (Dysart, Pa./Altoona) with a single to center.
 
WLU made it a one-run game with two runs to start the fourth, but Risinger entered the shut the Cardinals down the rest of the way. Beers added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth with a single that brought around Mercer and Little.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks are scheduled to host Shippensburg (Saturday) and Edinboro (Sunday) this weekend at Podbielski Field. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_Softball.