PEMBROKE. N.C. – The IUP baseball team jumped out to another early advantage but could not hold on in a 10-5 setback to No. 9 UNC Pembroke on Saturday afternoon.
Davin Landers went 3-for-4 at the plate, driving in two and scoring a run to lead the Crimson Hawks. Five different players scored a run for IUP, finishing with eight hits on the day.
Harrison Pontoli had two hits and
David Kessler walked twice and scored a run.
IUP led 5-2 in the third inning before the Braves used a four-run home half of the frame to take the lead for good. UNC Pembroke remains undefeated at 10-0 with the victory, while the Hawks slip to 0-3 against strong competition.
UNCP opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first for a 2-0 advantage. IUP worked a patient approach in the second inning, plating four of the team's five runs in the stanza.
Kessler and
Ethan Schimony drew one-out walks before the Hawks broke out the bat. Landers and
Peyton Johnson drove in runs with singles to the right side, leveling the score at two. A
Zach Miller walk loaded the bases for
Au'sean Owens, who turned the lineup over with a sacrifice fly. Pontoli rounded out the scoring in the inning with IUP's fourth hit of the frame, scoring Johnson for a 4-2 margin.
Landers tacked on another IUP run with a single back to the pitcher in the third, plating
Blaise Zeiders for a 5-2 edge. UNCP rattled off four runs in the home half of the third, including a go-ahead home run for a 6-5 advantage. The Braves added a pair of runs in the fourth and two more runs over the sixth and seventh innings.
A timely double play helped UNCP keep IUP at bay in the ninth inning. Chase Jernigan allowed just one hit over the final three innings of work out of the UNCP bullpen, picking up the save
Derrick Shields got the start on the mound for the Hawks, tossing three innings.
Jimmy Tooley entered in relief, allowing one run with three strikeouts in three innings out of the bullpen.
Up Next
IUP is back in action on Saturday, March 2 for a doubleheader at West Virginia State. First pitch is set for noon in Institute.
Follow
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