BUTLER, Pa. –
Jeff Allen (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg Area) tossed a complete game, giving up just one run in the opener, to key an IUP baseball doubleheader sweep of Clarion on Saturday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park.
Allen struck out eight batters and scattered six hits in seven innings as the Crimson Hawks won game one by a score of 6-1.
Colin Claus (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) picked up the game two 5-2 victory, striking out four and giving up four hits and two earned runs in 4.2 innings of work.
Dillon Swanger (Salisbury, Md./James Bennett) earned the save, striking out three over the final 2.1 innings.
The Crimson Hawks have now won five of their last six games, improving to 8-14 overall and an even 5-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division.
IUP totaled 19 hits in the two games, including five doubles from five different players.
Anthony Rigous (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North),
Nate Dickey (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), and
Bo Putt (Indiana, Pa./Indiana Area) each collected three hits in the doubleheader, with Putt and
Chris Eisel (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) driving in two runs apiece.
Four-run second inning keys game one win
Already trailing after Clarion homered in the first, the Crimson Hawks clawed back with four runs on four hits in the second inning to take the lead for good. Dickey opened the IUP scoring with an RBI single, followed by a run-scoring single by Eisel a two-RBI double by Putt.
IUP added runs in the third and sixth innings with RBI base hits from
Matt Eperesi (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Mars) and
Matt Swartz (Sarver PA/Freeport), respectively.
A four-run third inning the difference in game two
The Crimson Hawks capitalized on another big offensive inning in the nightcap, scoring four runs on four hits and an error in the third inning of the 5-2 win. Dickey scored IUP's opening run on an Eisel double, while
Cory Wheeler (Butler, Pa./Butler),
Wes Carson (Woodstock, Md./Marriots Ridge), and Rigous all drove in runs.
After scoring another run in the fifth on a
Dan Sepic (York, Pa./Central York) double, Clarion got on the board with two runs in the bottom half. That is when Swanger entered, getting out of a jam and finished out the ball game.
Up next
The Crimson Hawks look for the four-game sweep of Clarion on Sunday when they host the Golden Eagles at Dougherty Field.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP baseball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPbaseball.
