IUP baseball continues storybook run with program’s first NCAA DII College World Series victory - Indiana University of Pennsylvania Athletics (2024)

CARY, N.C. – The IUP baseball program has had its back against the wall at various points this season. Each time, the Crimson Hawks have resiliently answered the call and Monday was no different, coming from behind for a 4-3 win against top-ranked and number one seed Central Missouri in Cary.

Playing complimentary baseball down the stretch, IUP (39-17) took its first lead of the day in the eighth inning and once again turned to precocious right-hander Bryce Devan to close out the victory. Devan did just that, enducing a game-ending double play confirmed by replay review that secured the first victory in the DII College World Series for the Crimson Hawks.

Central Missouri (52-10) took the lead in the seventh before the Crimson Hawks counterpunched with two keys runs in the eighth. The Mules become the first team eliminated in the DII College World Series, entering the day outscoring their opponents by a 659-336 margin.

Andrew Sicinski smacked the game-tying to center before Brady Yard pushed IUP ahead 4-3 with a shallow sacrifice fly to right in the eighth. The Hawks collected five hits on the day, struggling to muster much beyond the eighth inning, with four hits coming off the bats of Sicinski and Harrison Pontoli.

Derrick Shields settled in for a gritty performance on the mound against one of the top offenses in Division II baseball. The sophom*ore right-hander allowed two runs on five hits with three punchouts over 5.1 innings. Jimmy Tooley, Jason Madrak and Devan followed in relief.

Outscored 26-12 in the eighth inning of games this season, the Crimson Hawks flipped the script on Monday. Jack Scott dealt 7.1 innings in a great start for the Mules, surrendering two runs on four hits with a whopping 10 strikeouts. Both of Shields' earned runs came in the second inning, keeping the Hawks in the mix. IUP eventually broke through with the game-tying run in the fifth inning on a double from Pontoli that hooked fair down the right field line.

Central Missouri recorded a pair of leadoff hits in the first inning, moving to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Shields wiggled out of an early jam with a strikeout and groundout to keep the game scoreless.

With a pitch count near 50 in the second inning for Shields, the Mules potent offense struck first with a looping double down the line in right for a 2-0 advantage. Yard represented the first baserunner for IUP in the second inning. After being plunked by a pitch, Yard swiped second on a delayed steal before racing home on an error with David Kessler at the plate.

The Hawks were held hitless through three innings before Sicinski cracked the first of two hits on a ball back up the middle to lead off the fourth. Despite some struggles early, Shields battled through five innings on the mound while allowing just two runs in the second inning.

IUP converted with two outs in the fifth inning and evened the score at two. Au'sean Owens raced out an infield single before scoring on a Pontoli double two pitches later. Jimmy Tooley walked two batters in his first inning of relief, getting a key strikeout to end the UCM half of the sixth.

The Mules cashed in during the seventh inning with two outs and a runner on third as Max Holy cracked a two-strike pitch. Ahead 3-2, Scott took charge on the mound and struck out the IUP side in the seventh.

Pontoli slapped his second hit of the day with one out in the eighth, looking to start an offensive rally for the Crimson Hawks against Scott. Ricardo Aponte followed it up with a walk, chasing Scott after an impressive 10-strikeout effort.

The Aponte walk led to the go-ahead run for IUP in the eighth. Davin Landers came up clutch defensively, tossing out the runner on an attempted steal for the first out of the ninth.

Up Next
IUP awaits the loser of the Angelo State/Point Loma contest later in the day. The Hawks return to action on Wednesday, June 5 in Cary.

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