ERIE, Pa. – The IUP baseball team combined for 18 runs while sweeping Gannon by scores of 7-3 and 11-5 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play on Sunday afternoon at McConnell Family Stadium.
With the wins, the Crimson Hawks improve to 5-13 overall and 2-4 in league play. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights fall to 12-9 overall behind a 2-4 mark in PSAC play.
Gannon jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second consecutive doubles from Gregor Nicolia and Andrew Wagner. The Golden Knights threatened to add to the lead in the fourth. After Nicolia drew a two-out walk, Wagner singled through the right side. IUP starter
Jeff Allen (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg Area) then got Matt Oruch to fly out to right to end the threat.
The Crimson Hawks cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the fifth on a sac fly from
Matt Eperesi (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Mars) that scored
Ted DeSanti (Erie, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep). DeSanti led the inning off with a walk and then stole second before advancing to third on an errant throw. The game remained 3-1 until the top of the seventh when IUP tied the game on a two-run home run down the left field line by Eperesi. The Crimson Hawks then added four runs in the ninth on a
Dan Sepic (York, Pa./Central York) bases loaded walk, a
Scott Hess (Erie, Pa./Erie Cathedral Prep) two-run single and a single from
Wes Carson (Woodstock, Md./Marriots Ridge) to win the extra-inning affair.
Carson finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Eperesi was 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
Dillon Swanger (Salisbury, Md./James Bennett) earned the win in relief as he tossed three scoreless innings while yielding just one hit.
Sepic put IUP up 1-0 in the top of the first in game two with a two-out solo home run to left field. The Crimson Hawks added to the lead in the second. After Eperesi reached via a single and DeSanti was hit by a pitch,
Chris Eisel (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) homered to left to extend the lead to 4-0. Gannon cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the third on an infield single and a two-run double from Elijah Quiceno. A sac fly from Cody Callaway then tied the game at 4-4.
IUP retook the lead in the top of the fifth on a Wheeler RBI double. The Crimson Hawks then took a 6-4 lead on a fielder's choice RBI from Carson.
Anthony Rigous (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North) then delivered an RBI single to push the lead to 7-4. Wheeler picked up another RBI in the sixth on a groundout that extended the lead to 8-4. Rigous put the game out of reach with a two-run home run in the seventh.
Eisel was 4-for-4 with three runs scored, four RBI and a home run. Rigous was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Wheeler also tallied a multi-RBI game as he drove in two runs and was 1-for-4. Junior lefty
Dan Roan (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) earned the win in relief as he tossed 3.0 innings while striking out four and yielding just one hit.
Up Next
The Crimson Hawks resume PSAC West play tomorrow as they host Gannon in doubleheader action beginning at 11 a.m. at Owen J. Dougherty Field.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP baseball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPbaseball.
