The Griffins opened their four game PSAC West set with a road doubleheader at Indiana (PA) on Friday afternoon.
SHU battled back from a 6-2 deficit in game one but came up just short, dropping game one by a 6-5 score. The Griffins then broke out the bats in game two as the offense exploded for 15 runs on 17 hits in a 15-1, 5 inning win in game two to earn the split. SHU is now 13-5 overall and 10-2 in the west while IUP is 9-5 overall and in the west.
The Crimson Hawks used back to back doubles to take a 1-0 lead over the Griffins in the first inning of game one. IUP increased their lead to 3-0 with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. The Crimson Hawks used the long ball to take a 5-0 lead after three innings of play.
The Griffins cut the IUP lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning. After an out,
Allison Kapoll was hit by a pitch. Later in the inning,
Madison Hans drew a walk and
Nichole McClendon was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs.
Jenna Osikowicz followed with a 2 RBI single for the first two Griffin runs of the game. IUP answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning to increase their lead to 6-2.
Seton Hill trimmed the lead in half in the top of the sixth inning. Kapoll led off the inning with a double. She scored on a Hans triple. Hans then scored on a wild pitch to trim the IUP lead to 6-4. The Griffins threatened in the top of the seventh by loading the bases with no outs.
Morgan Toal singled to lead off the inning.
Bailey Devinney walked and
Christiana Skrabak was hit by a pitch to load the bases but two strikeouts and a fielders choice ended the game as the Griffins could only push across one run.
Toal led the offense with 3 hits. McClendon added two hits.
The Griffins jumped on the Crimson Hawks in game two, scoring four times in the top of the first inning. McClendon and Osikowicz were hit by pitches to start the game.
Alexis Vargas reached on an error to load the bases. Toal then doubled to right field to knock in two runs. After an out, Skrabak singled in two runs to give SHU the 4-0 lead.
Seton Hill scored seven times in the top of the third inning to break the game open. Vargas led off the inning with a homer. Later in the inning, Kapoll doubled in a run.
Samantha Estupinian and McClendon added RBI singles while Osikowicz followed with a two RBI double. Vargas closed out the scoring in the inning with an RBI single as SHU took an 11-1 lead.
Skrabak homered to lead off the fourth inning and SHU scored three times in the fifth to close out the scoring. Vargas, Toal and Skrabak each knocked in runs in the fifth.
Logan Hartman remained perfect on the season as she improved to 6-0 in the circle. She went the distance, giving up one run on four hits while striking out seven and walking just one. Skrabak paced the offense with four hits and four RBIs. Vargas and Toal each had three hits and three RBIs. McClendon finished with two hits.
SHU and IUP will close out their four game set on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader in Greensburg.
