INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP softball team earned a split in a back and forth doubleheader with Edinboro, squashing a valiant Fighting Scots rally in game two with an 11-10 walk-off victory on Friday at Podbielski Field. Edinboro rode a fast start to an 8-4 victory in the first game.
IUP moved to 18-9 and 4-3 on the year after seven games this week (not including a halted contest against California). Edinboro pushes its record to 4-14 and 1-5 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play.
Madison Pikula finished with four hits on the day, including a walk-off single through the left side in game two.
Jaycee Haidze continued her torrid stretch with five combined hits and six RBI across the doubleheader.
Jordan Sylvia homered twice in game two on a windy day. Both sides counterpunched throughout the day, able to string together some big innings.
Game One: Edinboro 8, IUP 4
Edinboro was locked in at the plate from the start, homering on the first pitch of the game. The Fighting Scots continued smacking extra base hits to the tune of four runs in the first inning.
IUP chipped away and worked the score tied at four in the fifth inning.
Tess Smiley lifted a homer to right in the fourth, scoring Haidze. Haidze converted at the dish in the fifth for the Hawks, smacking a double to right that plated
Delaney Patella and
Paige Truax.
Adeline Maguire, who opened the game with a homer on the first pitch, cleared the bases with a double in the seventh for an 8-4 Edinboro lead.
Elizabeth Kasper went the distance in relief, allowing five runs (four earned) with a pair of strikeouts.
Pikula, Haidze and
Kelly Szolek posted a pair of hits each for IUP in the first game.
Game Two: IUP 11, Edinboro 10
IUP opened up a sizable lead in the second game, zipping ahead 6-1 after three innings. A four-run fourth inning widened the IUP margin to 10-4 before the Scots chipped away to even the game at 10.
Pikula closed the game out with a walk-off single, scoring the speedy
Sara Tailford for the hard-earned 11-10 victory.
Amanda Fischer finished out the final 3.1 innings in the circle, taking over for Haidze.
Sylvia homered twice in the games, a pair of two-run shots in the first and third innings. Haidze added a home run of her own in the third for the Crimson Hawks, which smacked 12 combined hits in the second game.
Haidze and Sylvia notched four RBI each in the victory.
Up Next
IUP hits the road for a doubleheader at Clarion next week on Tuesday, April 2.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP softball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter) and Instagram @IUPsoftball and online at IUPathletics.com.
