INDIANA, Pa. – The Indiana University of Pennsylvania baseball program had its biggest offensive outburst of 2023 in a pair of blowouts over the Panthers of UPJ, scoring a season-high 18 runs in game one followed by 11 during the second en route to 18-5 and 11-3 wins.
 
Indiana (PA) scored in every inning but three, putting crooked numbers on the board in eight of those with the biggest blow coming in their final turn to the plate with a eight-run sixth inning in game two.
 
The Crimson Hawks produced a power surge, clubbing nine home runs over 12 half-innings worth of at-bats and the opener had the painful distinction of seeing IUP get beaned a campaign-most five times.
 
Peyton Johnson flexed his muscles as he went for a trio of home runs which brought home four RBIs as he hit .625 (5-of-8).
 
Markus Cestra was the other multi-homer contributor, smashing one in each matchup to tie for a team-best six ribbies and six runs scored scattered among four base knocks that made up 11 total bases.
 
David Kessler, Harrison Pontoli, Davin Landers, and Zach Miller all put baseballs into orbit once with the quartet combining for 13 RBIs, 13 runs scored, 11 hits, two doubles, two walks, a steal, and a sacrifice fly while boasting a batting average of .478 (11-for-23).
 
Torrey Roper was one of the few Hawks that did not go deep but it did not mean he was any less dynamic, lacing five hits in nine at-bats (.556) for two singles, two doubles, and a triple, four scores, and a trio of runs batted in.
 
Just because the bats stole the spotlight does not mean the arms failed. Derrick Shields went the distance to improve to 3-2 during the back half of the twin bill, tying his campaign-high with six whiffs during seven frames by ceding just three runs, one walk, and five hits to finish the job in only 82 pitches.
 
Sebastian Rosado-Guindin secured his first pitching win of his debut season with 1.1 scoreless innings and Jason Madrak retired all eight batters he faced including a 4-6-3 double play to get out of a bases loaded jam that he inherited with a 7-5 lead in the fourth frame of game one.
 
A Tuesday matinee versus the Bloomsburg Huskies is on tap at 2 p.m. in what will be the last non-conference battle of the regular season.
 
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