SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The IUP baseball team opened its final series of the 2021 season with a pair of road losses to Slippery Rock Friday afternoon. The Crimson Hawks lost the opener by a score of 4-1 and the nightcap 5-1 at Critchfield Park.

IUP had good offensive starts, scoring a run in the top of the first in each ball game. 

Austin Mueller drove in the first run in the opener, singling through the right side to bring Harrison Pontoli around from second. Pontoli led off the game with an infield single and moved up on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Caden Decroo. 

Game one starter Mark Edeburn held SRU scoreless through the first two innings, but a two-out walk and error in the third was followed by a grand slam, giving The Rock all the runs they needed. Billy Welsh struck out five batters and held SRU scoreless through 2.1 innings of relief. 

In game two, Colin Williams hit a double to left center on the first pitch he saw, bringing Chris Eisel around from first after an opening walk. The 1-0 lead wouldn't last long as Slippery Rock tied things up with a RBI double in the bottom half of the first.

Starter Nick Kuhn pitched out of a jam in the second then put SRU down 1-2-3 in the third to keep the game tied. In the fourth, however, The Rock loaded the bases with one out before bringing runs home on a hit by pitch, sac fly, and double, to take a 5-1 lead.

The Hawks loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but a strikeout and ground out left those runners stranded in IUP's only remaining threat over the final innings. Jayson Wilbur and Austin Vigliotti threw the final 2.0 innings, giving up one hit and one walk. 

Up next
IUP wraps up the series and the season Saturday afternoon with a home doubleheader against The Rock at Dougherty Field.

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