INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP softball took care of business against West Liberty, holding on for a 6-4 win in game one before posting a 9-3 triumph in the second game.
IUP (4-0) got a strong relief outing from
Kendall Young before
Amanda Fischer came on for the save in the first. In the second game,
Jaycee Haidze posted two hits and four RBI as one of nine total players with at least one knock.
Delaney Patella and
Tess Smiley posted a pair of hits each for IUP in the nightcap, pushing across four runs in the second inning.
Game One: IUP 6, West Liberty 4
IUP got off to another fast start, jumping ahead 5-0 in the second inning before keeping the Hilltoppers at bay in the fifth and sixth. The early outburst was highlighted by a
Madison Pikula two-run double to left, plating
Sara Tailford and Smiley.
The Hawks scored their final run of the opening game on a groundout from
Maddie Griffin, scoring Tailford for a 6-1 edge. WLU plated three runs in the top half of the fifth, with consecutive RBI singles bringing the visitors withi two at 6-4.
IUP called on its bullpen as Young fanned three in 1.2 innings of relief work. From there, Fischer closed out the seventh, working past a pair of two-out singles to finish out the victory.
Pikula and Griffin finished with two RBI apiece and Young registered five putouts in six batters faced.
Game Two: IUP 9, West Liberty 3
The Crimson Hawks moved to 4-0 on the young season with early offensive production. IUP raced ahead 6-0 in the second inning and added to the margin throughout the game in the sweep.
Haidze bases-clearing double to right made it a 4-0 IUP margin. She was eventually thrown out at third, trying to stretch the double into something more as IUP surged ahead. A Patella homer and run-scoring double for
Jess Cekada gave IUP a 6-0 cushion in the third.
Haidze's second double of the game plated Pikula for a 7-2 advantage in the fourth before the Hawks added a pair of unearned runs for the final margin.
Elizabeth Kasper scattered six hits over 3.2 innings in the circle, giving way to
Olivia Hillegas. She racked up five strikeouts in 16 batters faced, earning the win with 3.1 innings of relief action.
Pikula, Patella and
Paige Truax all scored a pair of runs each in the victory.
Up Next
IUP heads south to Glenville State and the Sue Morris Sports Complex for a pair of games on Saturday, February 24 against Fairmont State (10:30 a.m.) and WV State (6:00 p.m.).
No live stats or video will be available for either of those games.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP softball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter) and Instagram @IUPsoftball and online at IUPAthletics.com.
