INDIANA, Pa. — The IUP baseball team closed out the regular season with a doubleheader split against Gannon. The Hawks won the first game after making a comeback in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game, before Cayden Bender hit a walk-off single. IUP's late rally fell short in game two, despite scoring eight runs in the final two innings to close the gap to 13-10.

IUP finished the regular season 24-25 overall and 17-11 in conference action.

Game one
Gannon scored the first run in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI double to center field. Their second run came in the fifth on a RBI double down the left field line. 

IUP tied the game at two each in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Mike Huber drew a walk and advanced to second on Elijah Dunn's single to left field. Peyton Johnson's triple to right center drove in both runners. 

Cayden Bender hit a walk-off single to left field in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mitchell Grosch reached on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second on a passed ball. Huber and Johnson drew walks, which loaded the bases. 

Game two
Gannon homered to right field in the top of the first for the early lead. IUP responded in the bottom of the second. Bender doubled to right center and came around on Ethan Schimony's single to left center. 

Gannon scored three runs in the top of the third on four hits and tacked on another in the fourth to get ahead 5-1. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Camden Rhude singled to shortstop and advanced to third on Josh Wolfe's single to center. However, a groundout to second left them stranded. 

The Golden Knights scored six runs in the top of the fifth, including a three-run homer to center field. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Nizeah Mummert doubled to right center and advanced to third on a passed ball. With one out, Branden Kanick drew a walk. Mateo Cepullio's sac fly out to left field drove in Mummert. Gardner Fravel singled to left field to advance Kanick to second, but a fly out left them stranded. 

Gannon scored a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings. 

Josh Wolfe singled to left field, and Jimmy Tooley came in to pinch run. Tooley advanced to third on Schimony's single to right field. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch with Tooley scoring. Mummert's single to center field drove in Schimony, Landers double to left field drove in Mummert, and Kanick's triple to left center drove in Landers to put IUP within six, 12-6. With two out, Cepullio drew a walk and scored on Gardner Fravel's RBI single down the left field line. 

In the bottom of the seventh, IUP drew two consecutive walks and an RBI double from Landers scored Schimony. Kanick's two RBI double down the left field line drove in Landers and Mummert to put IUP within three, 13-10. 

Up Next
IUP looks ahead to PSAC postseason action set to begin on Wednesday, May 7. More information to come. 

Follow  
For coverage of the IUP baseball program, follow the Crimson Hawks on X (Twitter) and Instagram @IUPBaseball and online at IUPathletics.com.