WHEELING, W.Va. – The IUP baseball program continued rolling, grinding out a seventh consecutive win by outlasting Wheeling for a 16-12 victory on Tuesday in West Virginia.
IUP (26-10) pushed across a staggering 10 runs in the sixth inning alone surging ahead for good. A back and forth matchup at times, Tuesday's nonconference clash featured a combined 16 pitchers utilized, 422 total pitches thrown and 23 walks issued.
The Crimson Hawks erased an 8-6 deficit with their sixth inning approach. IUP finished with 11 hits on the day, including three from
Andrew Sicinski and two each from
Davin Landers and
Peyton Johnson.
Landers delivered a pair of solo homers in the second and fifth innings for the Crimson Hawks. While the highlights sparse in the pitching department,
Bryce Devan picked up his second win of the season and
Dane Samartino closed out the game in the ninth inning.
The Hawks are receiving votes in the latest ABCA NCAA DII Poll and earned another regional victory to help their push towards the postseason.
Homers for
Harrison Pontoli and Landers lifted IUP ahead 2-0 in the second inning. Wheeling eventually countered with a sacrifice fly in the third for a 4-3 edge.
A three-run shot for Carlos D'Amato handed Wheeling (21-20) an 8-6 lead. From there, IUP worked a patient approach, scoring 10 runs with only one hit in the frame. The Hawks drew four walks in the sixth inning and had four batters hit by pitches in the stanza.
Wheeling notched five more runs over the last four innings of the game. D'Amato finished the game with two hits, two runs scored and five RBI for the Cardinals.
Up Next
IUP hosts Pitt-Johnstown for a key Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) series for Senior/Alumni Day on Friday, April 26 at Dougherty Field.
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For coverage of the IUP baseball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter), Instagram @IUPbaseball and online at IUPathletics.com.
