March 11, 2008

Game 1
Game 2

LAURINBURG, N.C.—After surging to a 7-1 victory in the opener with six late runs, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania baseball team completed an NCAA Division II doubleheader sweep of host St. Andrews Presbyterian College by rallying to a 6-5 win in the nightcap on Tuesday afternoon at Clark Field.

The Crimson Hawks, currently ranked No. 6 in NCBWA North Atlantic Regional Poll, improved to 8-2 on the season. The Knights, playing their first games of the year on Clark Field after extensive field construction, fell to 9-16.

On the day, senior outfielder Shawn Schwarz (Leechburg, Pa.) led IUP to the pair of victories by batting for the cycle going 5-for-7 with two doubles, one triple, and one home run. Schwarz also scored four runs and drove in three.

St. Andrews visits non-conference Catawba College (Salisbury, N.C.) on Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. while Indiana University of Pennsylvania continues its southern tour against Pfeiffer University (Misenheimer, N.C.) on Wednesday at 3 p.m.

GAME 1: IUP 7, St. Andrews 1

Schwarz just missed the classic cycle in the first game by going a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with two doubles, one triple, and three RBI to lead IUP to the six-run victory.

The two team’s swapped runs in the second inning before the Crimson Hawks scored six runs in the final three frames. IUP took the lead for good on an RBI-single by sophomore Paul Bingham (Hanover, Pa.) in the fifth. Classmate Corey Betz (Dillsburgh, Pa.) extended the visitors advantage to three runs (4-1) with a two-run double in the sixth. The Hawks added three insurance runs in the seventh. Schwarz had a two-run triple and then scored on a single by Betz.

Betz, who had a team-high four RBI on three hits, scored Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s first run with a single in the second.

St. Andrews scored its only run in the bottom of the second. Senior B.J. Horne (Hamlet, N.C.) stole home on a delayed double steal while junior J.T. Maguire (Jarrettsville, Md.) swiped second. Horne and Maguire both singled to start the rally.

IUP had 13 hits compared to four by SAPC while both teams stranded seven runners on base.

Junior leftie Chase McNutt (New Brighton, Pa.) went the distance in his first start of the season for the Crimson Hawks. McNutt (1-0) allowed one run while scattering four hits over 7.0 innings. McNutt tossed 102-pitches in the compete-game while striking out three.

Knights’ freshman counterpart Kyle Cummings (Wake Forest, N.C.) also pitched the whole game but was tagged for the loss allowing seven runs on 13 hits. Cummings (2-3) heaved 119-pitches with one K.

GAME 2: IUP 6, St. Andrews 5

Trailing by one run in the fourth inning, Hawks’ junior Shane Melhorn (Dover, Pa.) drilled a two-run home run to catapult IUP into the lead and Corey Betz preserved the 6-5 victory with his second save of the season.

A junior Shayne Busti (Crucible, Pa) RBI-single highlighted a two-run first inning for the Crimson Hawks but the Knights leapfrogged into the lead, 3-2, with three runs in the home half. Senior Michael Eastwood (Grantsboro, N.C.) had drove in the first St. Andrews run with a double and then scored on a junior Kyle Norris (Laurel Hill, N.C.) single. Norris later scored on an IUP error.

The Crimson Hawks regained a slim 4-3 advantage with one run in both the second and third. Bingham had an RBI-single in the second while Schwarz homered in the third. Schwarz’ solo blast to left-center was his second home run of the season.

The Knights continued to fight and bounced back into the lead, 5-4, with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third. Senior Sam Williams (Rockingham, N.C.) ripped a laser-double over the leftfielder to score Norris, who reached on an error. Williams later crossed home plate on a sophomore Vince Giunta (Sewell, N.J.) fielder’s choice.

Melhorn’s first home run of the season in the fourth concluded the games scoring as IUP catapulted ahead for good. Betz preserved freshman Greg Stewart’s (Kittanning, Pa.) first collegiate victory with a 1 1/3 inning save, his second of the year. Stewart (1-0) was credited with the win after pitching hurling 97-pitches over the first 4.0 innings in his first collegiate start. Stewart allowed five runs (two earned) on four hits while registering four strikeouts.

Knights’ senior Travis Lee (Frederick, Md.) took the loss in 5 2/3 innings of relief of freshman starter Caleb Johnson (Wilkesboro, N.C.). Lee fanned four batters but allowed three runs on seven hits.

Both teams had eight hits and left nine runners on the base paths. Bingham and Eastwood led their respective teams with two hits apiece in the finale.