JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Renee Wall continued her hot streak with five combined hits, just missing the cycle in game two, as she helped IUP softball to a divisional road sweep of Pitt-Johnstown with scores of 2-1 and 12-6 Thursday afternoon.
 
Wall extended her hit streak to 13 games with her Thursday performance. Her big game came in the nightcap, going 4-for-5 with a double, home run, five runs batted in and two runs scored in the extra inning win.
 
It's the second doubleheader sweep of a PSAC Central opponent for the Crimson Hawks, who wrapped up their first round of divisional games with a 6-4 record. They've won seven of their last 10 overall.
 
IUP totaled 25 hits on the day, including 19 in the game two victory. In addition to Wall's five hits, Kassie Kesneck finished a combined 5-for-8 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and four runs scored. Lauren Goetz went 4-for-6 and Bethany Bunner went 3-for-7 with a double and two RBI.
 
Lauren Zola earned the win in the opener, tossing a complete game with six strikeouts while allowing one run on four hits. Four of her innings pitched went 1-2-3.
 
The Mountain Cats (15-13, 5-5) scored game one's first run in the third inning, but Zola pitched out of a jam and left three runners stranded.
 
IUP tied the game in the sixth with the help of a leadoff double by Kesneck. She would later score on a Jenna Rhue groundout. The eventual winning run came across in the seventh when Bethany Bunner singled to right before a throwing error brought Jackie Toki around from second.
 
UPJ got its second batter of the bottom half to second base but Zola picked up a strikeout and a ground out to complete the comeback.
 
In game two, Wall drilled a 3-run homer in the top of the first to give IUP an early lead. The game was tied at 4-4 going into the seventh when the Crimson Hawks used a double by Rhue and a tripe by Wall to score a pair of runs and take the lead. UPJ extended the game with two runs of its own in the bottom half.
 
IUP then went off in the eighth, scoring six runs on seven hits, with RBIs coming from Kesneck, Rhue, Wall, Karley Kovatch, Kaitlyn Beers and Rachel Rodriguez.
 
After a leadoff single in the bottom half, Cassidy Graham picked up three straight outs in the circle to earn her first career win.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks look to keep the momentum this weekend when they host another divisional doubleheader against Clarion (0-31, 0-8) Saturday afternoon. First pitch is 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day at Podbielski Field with Lauren Goetz, Megan Risinger and Lauren Zola honored in between games.
 
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP softball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPsoftball.