INDIANA, Pa. - Sophomore
Hope Jones struck out 14 Seton Hill batters in a game one victory as the Crimson Hawks split a doubleheader with the Griffins Friday afternoon at Ruth Podbielski Field.
IUP won that game one by a score of 6-5 before falling in game two 15-1.
The 14 strikeouts set a new career-high for the young pitcher and was her third game of 12-plus Ks this season alone. Jones improved to 4-1 on the year with the victory.
IUP exits the day with a 9-5 overall and division records. Seton Hill, the top team in the PSAC West entering the weekend, is now 13-5 overall and 10-2 in the division.
Standout performances
Soph.
Hope Jones: W (4-1), 6.2 IP, 14 strikeouts, eight hits, four earned runs in game one
Gr.
Kaitlyn Beers: 2-2, run, double, home run, three RBI in game one
Soph.
Haleigh Zimmerman: 2-4, two runs, two doubles in game one
Sr.
Renee Wall: Double, two RBI in game one
Game one
The Crimson Hawks got out on top early, scoring in each of the first three innings to take a 5-0 lead. Beers opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first, followed by a RBI double by Wall in the second to make it a 3-0 game. In the third, Beers went opposite field for her sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot that gave IUP that 5-0 lead.
Seton Hill got back in it with two runs in the fourth but IUP plated one more in the bottom half to take a 6-2 lead into the fifth.
That run came in handy, as the Griffins scored two more times in the sixth and once in the seventh to cut their deficit to one.
Jones, who had been removed with two outs in the sixth, re-entered in the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs. She picked up three outs on the next three batters, striking out two to earn the victory.
Game two
It was all Seton Hill in the nightcap, scoring four times in the first inning and seven times in the third. IUP's lone run came on a RBI single off the bat of
Jacey Henderson in the second as the Griffins picked up the 8-run rule win in five innings.
Up next
These two teams are back in action Saturday with a doubleheader in Greensburg. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP softball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPsoftball and online at IUPAthletics.com.
