INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP baseball program enters its ninth week of the season with a pair of doubleheaders against PSAC West foe Mercyhurst. The Crimson Hawks open the series with two games at home on Friday afternoon and travel to Mercyhurst on Saturday.
Both days are set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
IUP enters with a 2-18 overall record, including 1-11 in the division. Mercyhurst is 15-9 overall and 6-6 in the division.
Spectators
IUP Athletics is allowing spectators at outdoor events this spring. Any fans visiting Owen J. Dougherty Field are asked to keep socially distant from each other, participating teams, student-athletes, school officials and other game day personnel. When not able to socially distant, please wear masks.
Mercyhurst Athletics announced that no visiting team spectators will be permitted at the site of the competition.
Click here to read the complete spectator policy.
Last Time Out
>> The Crimson Hawks took one from UPJ during their four-game series with the Mountain Cats last weekend.
>> IUP won game three in a big way, defeating UPJ 11-2.
Nick Hess lead the way to an explosive game,
blasting a three-run homer and adding a double to finish with five RBI.
>>
Chris Eisel had impactful and pivotal performance in game one as well, crushing a two-run homer to left; he scored three runs and two RBIs.
Follow/Social Media
Live Stats (IUP):
IUPstats.com
Live Stats (MER):
HurstAthletics.com
Live Video (MER):
HurstAthletics.com
Twitter:
@IUPbaseball
Instagram:
@iupbaseball
Notes
>> The 11 runs and 12 hits in last weekend's win were both season-highs for the Crimson Hawks. IUP pitching also gave up a combined 10 hits and five runs, and struck out 13 batters, in Saturday's home doubleheader.
>>
Harrison Pontoli and
Nick Hess remain IUP's top two hitters, batting .338 and .329, respectively. Pontoli has an 11-game hit streak to his name this year and Hess is coming off a weekend where all five of his base hits went for extra bases - two doubles, two triples, one home run.
>>
Chris Eisel has three multi-hit games in his last five outings, raising his batting average 44 points from .211 to .255 over that span. He hit two home runs during the UPJ series and now has a team-best four on the year.
>>
Tyler Diefenbach has earned the game one start in each of the last three series, striking out 12 batters in 8.2 innings pitched. He's averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
