INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP baseball team handled Davis & Elkins in a doubleheader sweep during nonconference play on Tuesday afternoon at Dougherty Field. The Crimson Hawks swept the doubleheader behind wins of 5-4 and 7-5.
IUP (21-10) earned the victory with some special guests in attendance as select members of the Indiana Area High School student body joined the team for pregame introductions and a ceremonial first pitch.
The Crimson Hawks have now won their past four "true" home games, played at Dougherty Field following Tuesday's sweep.
Game One: IUP 5, Davis & Elkins 4
David Kessler delivered the walk-off hit in the home half of the seventh, pushing the Crimson Hawks to a 5-4 victory to start the day. D&E rallied to tie the game with a pair of runs in the top half of the seventh inning.
The Hawks led most of the day as Kessler and
Andrew Sicinski accounted for two hits and two RB each.
Sebastian Rosado-Guindin had another strong starting effort on the mound, allowing three hits and two runs (one earned) over five innings.
Dane Samartino earned the win in relief, collecting the final two outs in the Senator half of the seventh. Sicisnski pushed IUP back in front at 2-1 after dropping a ball fair down the right field line and hustling for a run-scoring triple.
Sicinski delivered again in the sixth, slashing a single through the left side and plating
Ricardo Aponte for a 4-2 edge.
Game Two: IUP 7, Davis & Elkins 5
A three-run fifth inning gave the IUP bullpen a chance to close out the sweep.
Lucas Whittaker and
Bryce Devan did just that, holding D&E scoreless over the last three innings.
Aponte was the lone Crimson Hawk with multiple knocks in the game, while
Harrison Pontoli crossed the plate with three runs in the contest. Whittaker and Devan used 40 pitches over the last three innings, earning the win and save, respectively.
IUP jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning before D&E countered back with three runs in the next half inning. Aponte found a gap through the left side of the infield in the second, plating Pontoli for a 4-3 IUP advantage.
Robert Carfagno cashed in with a two-run double down the left field line for the 7-5 final margin.
Up Next
IUP hosts California (Pa.) for a conference doubleheader at Dougherty Field on Friday, April 19. First pitch is at 1:00 p.m.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP baseball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter), Instagram @IUPbaseball and online at IUPathletics.com.
