GREENSBURG, Pa. –
Colin Claus (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) scattered three hits and struck out eight batters in an IUP 4-2 game one victory Friday as the Crimson Hawks split a series-opening doubleheader with Seton Hill.
Claus earned his third win of the season, going six innings and giving up two earned runs in the opener. The eight strikeouts are his second most in a game this season.
After a 1-2-3 first inning, Claus gave up a combined two runs on three hits over the next two but worked out of jams to leave four stranded. He then left Seton Hill hitless over the next three innings, allowing just three base runners as he shut the Griffins down.
Reliever
Dan Roan (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) entered in the seventh and continued where Claus left off, retiring all three batters he faced to earn his second save of the year.
The Crimson Hawks scored all the runs their needed in the third, getting an RBI ground-rule double from
Chris Eisel (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and a two-run single off the bat of
Cory Wheeler (Butler, Pa./Butler). They scored one more in the fourth on an RBI base hit by
Anthony Rigous (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North).
The Crimson Hawks remain five games back of Seton Hill in the division, as they're now 12-24 overall and 8-14 in the PSAC West. Seton Hill is 21-18 and 13-9. Each team has six division games left in the regular season.
In game two, IUP fell behind 3-0 after two innings but cut its deficit to one in the fourth on a two-run home run from
Nate Dickey (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), his sixth of the season. IUP tied it in the fifth when Wheeler came around on a Seton Hill throwing error.
Wheeler was responsible for tying the game again in the seventh, as his double to left scored Eisel from second and the game was knotted at 4-4. That didn't last long, however, as Seton Hill singled in the game-winner with two outs in the bottom.
JP Pellis (Greensburg, PA/Greensburg Central Catholic),
Travis Holman (Ambridge, PA/Ambridge), and Roan combined to give up five earned runs on 11 hits. Wheeler had two of IUP's seven hits.
Up next
The final doubleheader of the series in Indiana has been postponed and moved to Sunday due to impending rain in the area. The Crimson Hawks will celebrate Senior Day at Dougherty Field with a first pitch at 1 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP baseball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPBaseball.