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NDIANA, Pa. — Playing its most important divisional series to date, the IUP baseball program looked poised for postseason play with a four-game series sweep of California (Pa.). The Crimson Hawks claimed game one in walk-off fashion with a 6-5 victory in eight innings before dispatching the Vulcans 4-1 in game two on Sunday.
IUP moved into a three-way tie atop the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western division with the series sweep. Winners of six in a row, the Crimson Hawks are now 25-10 and 14-6 in the league, tied with Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst.
Harrison Pontoli played the hero in game on with a walk-off single in the eighth inning, while
Nathan Mankoski whirled a complete game on the mound in game two.
Game One: IUP 6, California (Pa.) 5 (8 Innings)
Jimmy Tooley took charge down the stretch for IUP in relief, dealing three shutout innings to finish out a 6-5 victory in game one. Pontoli cashed in on his second hit of the day with a walk-off single in the eighth, securing a series victory for the Hawks.
Pontoli was one of four IUP players with two hits in the game, joining
Ricardo Aponte,
Robert Carfagno and
Au'sean Owens.
Jake Black tossed four innings on the mound, giving way to
Bryce Devan and Tooley down the stretch.
IUP took an early lead on a two-run double for Carfagno in the first. With the score level at three, the Hawks regained the lead after Aponte slashed a two RBI double to right for a 503 edge.
Nathan Meeks evened the score at five with a single back up the middle for the Vulcans in the fifth. Tooley entered in the sixth inning and shut the door from there for the Hawks, working out of a sixth inning jam before limiting the Vulcans the rest of the way.
A leadoff walk for
Peyton Johnson put IUP in business in the home half of the eighth. Johnson advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from
Davin Landers and raced to third on a well-placed bunt single from Owens. With runners on the corners, Pontoli cashed in with a single back up the middle for the walk-off victory.
Game Two; IUP 4, California (Pa.) 1
Mankoski carved through the Cal U lineup with a complete game victory in 87 pitches. He allowed just one run on five hits, posting four strikeouts in his third victory of the season.
IUP eventually figured out the Cal U pitching, moving ahead for good with three runs in the sixth.
Brady Yard smashed his third home run of the season to lead off the sixth inning for a 2-1 margin.
IUP later took advantage of a bases-loaded situation in the sixth, pushing across two more runs with a hit by pitch and passed ball.
Carfagno leveled the score with an RBI single in the fourth.
David Kessler had a pair of hits for IUP, with Yard scoring twice.
Up Next
IUP hits the road for a nonconference matchup at Wheeling on Tuesday, April 23. c
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