INDIANA, Pa. - In the biggest scoring day in years, the IUP baseball team put up 35 combined runs in a doubleheader sweep of Kutztown Wednesday afternoon at Dougherty Field.

The Crimson Hawks won game one 9-8 in extra innings before exploding for a 26-1 victory in game two. 

The 26 runs came on 26 hits, both season-highs. The 26 runs are the most recorded by an IUP team since 2003, the first year of completely recorded statistics. It's also the first time the Hawks scored 20-plus runs in a game since defeating Cal U 21-6 in April 2016. 

IUP has won seven consecutive games and is now 21-15 on the season. The seven-game win streak is the most since the 2013 season. The Hawks have now won more games this season (21) than they did in 2019, the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and 2021 - combined (20). 

Game one
The win was highlighted by a walk-off double from reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Week Markus Cestra in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cestra's hit brought in Au'sean Owens, who led off the inning by reaching second base on a passed ball. 

The Hawks led 8-3 after the sixth inning, but Kutztown rallied with five runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. IUP led off the bottom half with a double by Nick Hess and had two runners in scoring position with one out, but couldn't bring either across. 

IUP finished with 15 base hits, including three doubles and four triples. Cestra went 4-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, a triple, and an RBI. Harrison Pontoli went 2-for-3 with a triple and four RBI. Hess went 3-for-4 with a double and triple. 

Game two
IUP did all of its scoring in the first five innings, plating four in the first, five in the second, six in the third, three in the fourth and eight in the fifth. Of IUP's 26 hits, eight went for extra bases, including five doubles, a triple, and two home runs.

Eight Hawks had multi-hit games, including six with three hits. Pontoli went 3-for-4 with five runs scored, a double, triple, and an RBI. Andrew Schell went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Brady Yard went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI. Jake Cherry went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, and four RBI. Chris Rosa went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Branden Kanick went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, and three RBI. 

Patrick Apgar improved to 2-1 on the mound, scattering three hits and giving up one run in 5.0 innings. 

Up next
The Crimson Hawks get back to divisional play this weekend with a four-game set against division-leading Mercyhurst (23-9, 11-5 PSAC West). 

Follow
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