PEMBROKE, N.C. – The IUP baseball team opened the 2024 season on Friday in North Carolina, falling in both ends of a doubleheader to No. 9 UNC Pembroke. Final scores were 15-6 and 22-3 in favor of the Braves.
UNC Pembroke (9-0) and its potent offense seemed to be approaching midseason form, playing its eighth and ninth games of the young 2024 season on Friday. The ninth-ranked Braves smacked eight home runs on the day, hammering the IUP bullpen in the later innings.
Harrison Pontoli posted three RBI on a bases-clearing hit in game one, while
Ricardo Aponte notched three RBI of his own across the day in his IUP debut.
David Kessler posted three hits, while
Blaise Zeiders smacked a double and triple in his debut with the Crimson Hawks.
UNCP has now scored 15 or more runs in seven of the team's nine games to begin the season.
Game One: UNCP 15, IUP 6
IUP used a big fifth inning to take control before the homestanding Braves racked up 11 runs across three innings to take control back in a big way.
IUP got the scoring started as Aponte cracked a double into the left field corner that plated
Zach Miller for a 1-0 edge. UNCP responded back with a three-run homer in the home half of the second.
Trailing 4-1 in the fifth, IUP pushed across five runs to seize the momentum. A single for
Davin Landers, fielder's choice bunt from
Au'sean Owens and single from Miller loaded the bases for IUP veteran Pontoli.
Landers picked up right where he left off last season, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.
Pontoli laced a bases-clearing double down the right field line, knotting the score at four. It marked the 33rd career double for Pontoli, a fifth year infielder, which moved him to a tie with Bill Laubach for ninth in program history.
IUP took the lead off some UNCP miscues as Pontoli scored on a throwing error and Aponte raced home on a passed ball. The IUP offense dried up from there however, as reliever Jake Inman closed out the contest with 4.2 innings.
The Braves responded with one run in the sixth and three more in the seventh, setting the table for a decisive eighth inning. UNCP racked up seven runs in the eighth for the 15-6 final margin.
Mark Edeburn allowed five runs over 5.1 innings on the mound for the Hawks.
Addison Clymer,
Nathan Mankoski and
Lucas Whittaker followed in relief. For Edeburn, it was the 27th start of his IUP career as the veteran of the pitching staff.
Game Two: UNC Pembroke 22, IUP 3
The Braves belted five home runs in the night cap, posting seven runs in consecutive innings in the blowout.
IUP stuck first, stringing together some hits in the first inning. Zeiders doubled down the line to start the contest, and scored two batters later on Aponte's single down the left field line. The Hawks added single runs again in the third and sixth innings.
Aponte collected another RBI in the third, scoring Owens on a sacrifice fly. In the sixth, Kessler raced home on an error to get back within 5-3.
The Pembroke slammed the door shut on a potential IUP comeback in the seventh inning, posting seven runs in the frame. Continuing to pour it on, the Braves added seven more runs in the seventh and three in the eighth.
Kessler had two hits in game two to lead IUP, while
Jake Black allowed three runs on six hits over four innings in his IUP debut on the mound.
Black had strikeouts on six of the 17 total batters he faced. From there, IUP called on its bullpen over the final five innings.
Up Next
IUP finishes out the weekend series at UNC Pembroke on Saturday, 17 with a nine inning game. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP baseball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter) and Instagram @IUPBaseball and online at IUPAthletics.com.
