HICKORY, N.C. – The IUP baseball team couldn't the get bats going Saturday as the Crimson Hawks dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Lenoir-Rhyne by scores of 5-2 and 14-5. It was the second straight day with games against the Bears with IUP opening its 2020 season this weekend.
 
IUP began the day with fireworks, putting a pair of runs on the board in the first inning of game one. The highlight came from Chris Eisel, who tripled home Markus Cestra. Nick Hess later brought Eisel home on a sacrifice flyout.
 
Lenoir-Rhyne (6-5) answered back with four runs in the bottom half off starter Ben Hudock and the Crimson Hawks couldn't put together any more offensive production the rest of the way.
 
The top of the fifth inning did look promising for IUP as Luke Hollander led off with a single followed two batters later by a Harrison Pontoli double. Cestra drew a walk to load the bases with two outs but a ground ball stranded all three.
 
In game two, the Bears took a 4-0 lead through three innings and later took control of the game with a 9-run seventh. IUP pitchers walked eight batters while Lenoir-Rhyne totaled 14 hits, including four that went for extra bases.
 
The Hawks scored their runs in the seventh and eighth innings, including an RBI single by Jake Cherry and a 3-run homer by Eisel.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks take a two-week break before heading Eastern Pennsylvania for three games at East Stroudsburg University. IUP will play Jefferson and twice against host ESU.
 
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