WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Crimson Hawks rallied from five runs down to tie the game, but ultimately fell to Cal U 6-5 at Wild Things Park Sunday afternoon.
Trailing 5-0 in the fourth inning, IUP put up five runs capped by a three-run blast from
Drew Weglarz. The Crimson Hawks also collected RBI base hits from
Elijah Glass and
Ty Diehl in the inning.
The Vulcans (8-3) grabbed a 6-5 lead in the fifth, IUP put runners on in both the seventh and eighth innings, but neither advanced past second as Cal U's small lead remained safe.
In the top of the ninth,
Colton Burd led off and reached on an error. With
Chris Eisel pinch running, the next two batters struck out. Eisel then stole second and advanced on the Cal U catcher's wild throw. But with those two outs and the game-tying runner on third, the Vulcans forced the final out and the IUP rally fell short.
Eight of IUP's nine starters collected at least one hit apiece, with
Nick Hess and Weglarz each collecting two.
Tyler Diefenbach took the loss on the mound, striking out four while allowing two earned runs in 4.2 innings of relief.
Up next
The Crimson Hawks open up divisional play next weekend with a four-game set against Seton Hill. The Griffins host Friday with the series returning to Indiana for a doubleheader Saturday.
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