QUAKERTOWN, Pa. – Renee Wall (Topton, PA/Brandywine Heights) hit the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning as the Crimson Hawks mounted a comeback in a 7-6 victory over Millersville on the first day of the 2018 PSAC Championships Wednesday at Veterans Park.
 
Wall's single was part of a four-hit, five-run seventh for the Crimson Hawks as they faced elimination in their second game of the day. IUP lost to California (Pa.) by a score of 11-8 in the tournament opener.
 
The Crimson Hawks opened the seventh trailing 6-2 when Brooklyn Kotula (Ambridge, Pa./Ambridge) and Jo Jo McLay (Diamond, OH./Cardinal Mooney) drew one out walks. Kassie Kesneck (Houston, Pa./Chartiers-Houston) started the scoring with a single to right center, followed by another RBI single by Alaina Montgomery (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) to make it 6-4.
 
Kaitlyn Beers (Reynoldsville, Pa./DuBois Area High School) followed with a double to right center, tying the game as Kesneck and Montgomery came around to score. Wall stepped up next, driving the ball to right and bringing around Beers for the eventual game-winning run.
 
Kotula, who came in to pitch during Millersville's six-run second inning, put the Marauders down 1-2-3 in the seventh to preserve the comeback win for IUP. Kotula pitched 5.1 innings of shutout ball, striking out three while scattering two hits.
 
In game one, both teams scored in each of the first three innings with Amanda Parrish (Dysart, Pa./Altoona) and Lauren Goetz (Cleveland, Ohio/Cuyahoga Heights) each hitting home runs for IUP. The Vulcans (19-16), however, posted a seven-run second inning as they took an 11-5 lead to the fourth inning.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks (20-16) are now on to the second day of the PSAC Championships, where they'll face Shippensburg in another elimination game Thursday. First pitch is set for noon.
 
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For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoftball.