Box Score Seton Hill closed out the NCAA Atlantic Super Regional in Indiana at Dougherty Field with a winner take all game three on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
The Griffins rallied from 3-0 down to take a 4-3 lead only to see the Crimson Hawks score three runs in the fifth and sixth innings to defeat the Griffins and end their season with a 7-4 loss. Seton Hill finishes the season with a 41-17 record. IUP advances to their first NCAA Division II Baseball Championship with the win.
The Griffins threatened in the top of the first inning after back to back one out singles from
Jack Oberdorf and
Owen Mandler but the Crimson Hawks got a line out and strikeout to end the threat and strand two runners at second and third.
The Crimson Hawks scored a run in the second. A one out walk moved to second on a ground out. That runner scored when the Griffins committed two errors on one play. The first a failed pick off allowed the runner to third and an errant throw to the plate allowed the run to score.
The Crimson Hawks added a pair in the third inning, one unearned run to increase their lead to 3-0.
Seton Hill then put up a four spot in the top of the fourth inning. With one out,
Max Mandler homered to left field to get the Griffins on the scoreboard.
Elijah Snider walked and
Owen Mandler singled to put two runners on. After a strikeout,
Noah Sweeney reached on an infield single to load the bases.
Owen Henne then cleared the bases with a line drive triple over the left fielders head to put the Griffins in front 4-3.
IUP tied the game in the fifth with a run but
Jon McCullough was able to get out of a bases loaded jam with no one out by only allowing the one run.
The Crimson Hawks then retook the lead in the sixth. IUP had a leadoff single that moved to third after two outs. IUP then got two, two out RBI hits to take a 6-4 lead over the Griffins.
IUP added another run in the eighth inning as they increased their lead to 7-4.
Oberdorf finishes his spectacular Seton Hill career with another multi hit game, this one with two hits. He had multiple hits in every game in the super regional and finished with at least one hit in each postseason contest. Sweeney also had two hits for the Griffins. Henne drove in three runs in the contest and
Max Mandler homered.