Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The IUP softball split a pair of games in their final action down in Florida, knocking off Wayne State with a 4-1 victory before falling 4-3 in nine innings against St. Anselm on Friday.
Somewhat of a belated birthday gift,
Paige Truax recorded the 100th hit of her collegiate career in the victory against Wayne State. The Hawks added some insurance with a fourth inning run.
In the second game, IUP battled back to tie the game before St. Anselm recorded the win in the ninth.
Kendall Young got the start in game two, posting another solid outing.
A box score and complete stats were not available for the St. Anselm game at the time of release.
Game One: IUP 4, Wayne State 1
Another strong pitching effort carried IUP to a 4-1 win down in Florida against Wayne State (7-9). This time,
Olivia Hillegas fired a complete game effort, allowing one run on seven hits with two strikeouts.
A pair of extra-base hits in the third gave IUP all the run support it needed in the team's fourth straight win. Three hits each from Pikula and Truax and two more
Brianna Pusateri highlighted some strong showings at the plate.
Wayne State struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. From there, Hilleags limited the damage the rest of the way, closing the contest by retiring the final eight batters.
The Hawks countered back in the home half of the first with Truax pushing home Pikula with a run-scoring single.
Jordan Sylvia tripled home Smiley in the third before coming around to score on a Truax double in the third.
Jess Cekada raced home in the fourth as IUP widened its lead to 4-1. Hillegas moves to 2-0 on the season, while Wayne State starter Sydney Long falls to 4-4 overall.
Up Next
IUP returns to Pennsylvania, opening conference play on Tuesday, March 19 at Slippery Rock. First pitch for the doubleheader is slated for 2:00 p.m.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP softball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter) and Instagram @IUPsoftball and online at IUPathletics.com.
