BASEBALL
IUP scored 35 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Kutztown. Here is the summary of the game from IUP Athletics:
Hawks score 35 runs in doubleheader sweep of Kutztown
In the biggest scoring day in years, the IUP baseball team put up 35 combined runs in a doubleheader sweep of Kutztown Wednesday afternoon at Dougherty Field.The Crimson Hawks won game one 9-8 in extra innings before exploding for a 26-1 victory in game two. The 26 runs came on 26 hits, both season-highs. The 26 runs are the most recorded by an IUP team since 2003, the first year of completely recorded statistics. It’s also the first time the Hawks scored 20-plus runs in a game since defeating Cal U 21-6 in April 2016. IUP has won seven consecutive games and is now 21-15 on the season. The seven-game win streak is the most since the 2013 season. The Hawks have now won more games this season (21) than they did in 2019, the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and 2021 – combined (20). Game oneThe win was highlighted by a walk-off double from reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Week Markus Cestra in the bottom of the eighth inning. Cestra’s hit brought in Au’sean Owens, who led off the inning by reaching second base on a passed ball. The Hawks led 8-3 after the sixth inning, but Kutztown rallied with five runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game. IUP led off the bottom half with a double by Nick Hess and had two runners in scoring position with one out, but couldn’t bring either across. IUP finished with 15 base hits, including three doubles and four triples. Cestra went 4-for-4 with three runs scored, a double, a triple, and an RBI. Harrison Pontoli went 2-for-3 with a triple and four RBI. Hess went 3-for-4 with a double and triple. Game twoIUP did all of its scoring in the first five innings, plating four in the first, five in the second, six in the third, three in the fourth and eight in the fifth. Of IUP’s 26 hits, eight went for extra bases, including five doubles, a triple, and two home runs.Eight Hawks had multi-hit games, including six with three hits. Pontoli went 3-for-4 with five runs scored, a double, triple, and an RBI. Andrew Schell went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Brady Yard went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI. Jake Cherry went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, and four RBI. Chris Rosa went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Branden Kanick went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, and three RBI. Patrick Apgar improved to 2-1 on the mound, scattering three hits and giving up one run in 5.0 innings. Up nextThe Crimson Hawks get back to divisional play this weekend with a four-game set against division-leading Mercyhurst (23-9, 11-5 PSAC West).
TENNIS
From IUP Athletics:
Hawks clinch PSAC West title with 6-1 win over Slippery Rock
April 20, 2022
INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women’s tennis program clinched its second straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division regular season title with a 6-1 victory over Slippery Rock Wednesday afternoon at Maple Street Courts. It was IUP’s third PSAC West crown since 2018.The Crimson Hawks finish their division schedule with an unblemished 6-0 record and improved to 13-7 overall. It was also the Hawks’ eighth straight victory. IUP has won 15 of the last 16 matches against Slippery Rock dating back to the spring of 2011. 40th-ranked Karolin Kirchtag tallied the match-clinching victory at the top singles spot, dispatching of Lois Page 6-4, 6-3. Kirchtag’s victory was her eighth straight singles win and gave IUP a 4-0 lead in the match. Preceding her wins in singles play were Lydia Vlachou at No. 5 and Laura Dunarova at No. 6, both by 6-2, 6-1 scores. Wrapping up the victory was Katy Graydon at No. 4 with a 6-0, 7-5 win at Joanna Stralka at No. 2 with a comeback 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 win.The Hawks took the doubles point by grabbing two of three wins. Natasha Munday and Stralka blanked Slippery Rock’s top paring by a score of 6-0 while Kirchtag and Graydon won at the No. 2 spot by a score of 6-2. Up nextThe Hawks will play West Virginia State (11-5, 5-1 MEC) in Morgantown, W.Va. on Friday. It’s a battle between the top two teams in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings with IUP at No. 1 and WV State at No. 2.
COACHING NEWS:
Mt. Pleasant native Ben Wilkins yesterday was named the new head basketball coach at Seton Hill. He’s been an assistant at Army the last six years, including being the associate head coach last season.
Former Slippery Rock coach Kevin Reynolds was hired yesterday as the new head coach at Point Park. The former IUP assistant coach resigned in 2018 after 11 seasons at Slippery Rock, and has been an assistant at Quincy in Illinois and at Texas A&M Corpus Christi since then.
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