SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The IUP baseball program saw its memorable Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament run end, falling to No. 18 East Stroudsburg by a 2-0 score on Saturday at Critchfield Park.
IUP (33-15) ran into determined starter Brent Francisco, who carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning on the mound for East Stroudsburg (41-11). The loss eliminates IUP after knocking off Shippensburg by a 3-2 score earlier in the day.
ESU advances to Saturday's PSAC Championship game against West Chester, needing two wins against the Golden Rams to earn the conference crown. The Hawks had just one runner in scoring position throughout the nine inning contest with Francisco rolling through eight innings.
ESU battled back for a 6-5 walk-off win against IUP yesterday. Despite a pair of losses to the nationally-ranked Warriors, the Crimson Hawks have solidified their case for an at-large berth in the NCAA Atlantic Regional. IUP posted wins against Millersville and Shippensburg as the final PSAC West school left in the tournament on Friday.
IUP was sixth in the last set of regional rankings, released upon the conclusion of the regular season. The top seven schools are selected to the NCAA Atlantic Regional with conference champions earning an automatic bid.
The reigning PSAC East Pitcher of the Year, Francisco entered the game with a 2.18 ERA and a 10-1 overall record. He refocused in his second start of the PSAC Tournament following a shaky outing on May 8 against Slippery Rock, where he was tagged for five unearned runs in one inning.
Francisco walked
Blaise Zeiders twice before
Harrison Pontoli reached with an infield single.
Brady Yard added a second consecutive base hit for IUP, unable to break through offensively in the sixth. It proved to be the final knock of the day for the snakebitten Crimson Hawk offense.
All-PSAC East First Team honoree Caden Parker entered for the save, tossing a scoreless ninth inning for the Warriors.
Sebastian Rosado-Guindin began the game on the hill for the Crimson Hawks, exiting after 2.1 innings due to injury. He was one of five pitchers used for the Crimson Hawks on Friday.
Casen Sandri,
Bryce Devan and
Addison Clymer combined for three scoreless innings on the mound, keeping IUP in the game. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the bats did not follow suit in the shutout loss.
Jeremy Piatkiweicz smacked a solo home run down the left field line in the third before Tim Haverstick scored in the fourth.
Up Next
IUP awaits word on a potential at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 2024 NCAA DII baseball championship kicks off with a selection show on
Sunday, May 12 at 10:30 p.m. ET streamed live on NCAA.com.
The Hawks have not made the NCAA Tournament since 1990.
Follow
For coverage of the IUP baseball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter) and Instagram @IUPBaseball and online at IUPathletics.com.
