INDIANA, Pa. - A two-run home run by Renee Wall in extra innings of game two clinched a doubleheader sweep of Clarion by the IUP softball team on Saturday afternoon at Podbielski Field. The Crimson Hawks won the nightcap by a score of 10-8. They were victorious in game one by a score of 6-3. 

It was the division opening doubleheader for the Hawks, who were seeing their first action since March 22. They got back to .500 at 9-9 and are 2-0 in division play. Clarion is 1-22 overall and 0-2 in the division.

These games were originally scheduled to be played at Clarion but were ultimately moved to Indiana due to poor field conditions. Therefore the Golden Eagles acted as the home team in the doubleheader.

Game one
The Hawks got on the board first with a sac fly by Jordan Sylvia in the first inning. Clarion came right back in the bottom half, however, with three runs on six hits off starter Amanda Fischer. 

IUP regained the lead in the third when Jenna Rhue hit a bases clearing double deep to center, putting the Hawks on top 4-3. They added runs in the sixth and seventh innings with a Megan Fitzgerald sac fly and RBI double by Sylvia. 

Elizabeth Kasper entered in the first inning in relief of Fischer and picked up the win in the circle, giving up six hits and no runs in 6.1 innings of work. 

Game two
IUP again scored first with an RBI groundout by Sylvia in the first. Clarion came back with a 2-run homer in the bottom half to take the lead but a sac fly from Bella Bucy in the second tied the game. 

The Golden Eagles came back with a big second inning, scoring three runs on five hits to take a 5-2 lead. IUP tied things up in the fifth with a Sylvia RBI single and a 2-run double from Haleigh Zimmerman. Clarion errors in the sixth helped the Hawks score three runs as they went on top 8-5. 

Clarion scored in the sixth before a 2-run homer in the bottom of the seventh sent the game to extra innings tied at 8-8. With one out and one on in the eighth, Wall sent one over the fence in left to put the Hawks on top. Fischer, who threw the last two innings, then set Clarion down in order to get the win.

Up next
The Hawks are scheduled to play at Seton Hill on Tuesday in Greensburg.

Follow
For coverage of the IUP softball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on Twitter and Instagram @IUPsoftball and online at IUPAthletics.com.