Hawks extend losing streak to four

The IUP baseball team lost both double-header games against Bloomsburg Sunday; 5-2 and 5-4.

The Hawks (12-16, 4-4) were unable to finish off a comeback in the first game and then gave up a three-run lead in the second game to give Bloomsburg (11-11, 2-6) its first PSAC wins of the 2011 season.

Bloomsburg took an early lead with an RBI single by Gino Wise in the bottom of the second inning.

IUP was held scoreless until the fifth inning after Bloomsburg found two more runs in the fourth inning.

Tyler Mroz put two runs on the board for IUP with a home run to cut the lead to one run, 3-2.  Bloomsburg answered quickly with a two-run single by Jerry Lloyd.

The Hawks found one run in the game's final two innings and were unable to find any more runs.

IUP pitcher Greg Stewart drops to 3-1 with the loss, giving up three runs off of two hits, had three strikeouts and three errors.

Ben Weimer closed the first game of the double-header for IUP and struck out two batters.

Bloomsburg pitcher Mike Rossetti (2-3) pitched four innings and gave up zero runs off of five hits and struck out two batters.

Mike Lupia finished the game with two hits but found zero runs. The only runs in the game for IUP came from the home run by Mroz.

In the second game, the Hawks gave up a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh to lose their second-straight game, 5-4.

Robbie Zinsmeister got his first of three runs in the top of the third inning. IUP had a 1-0 lead until Bloomsburg got the tying run in the bottom of the third.

IUP went on to score three runs in the final three innings, including two more runs by Zinsmeister in the fifth and the seventh.

However, that was not enough to prevent the late comeback by Bloomsburg.

Vince Smarrelli borught in the first runner to cut the lead two just two runs, 4-2.

Lloyd ended the game with a three-run home run. With four runs in the fourth inning, Bloomsburg came back to win, 5-4.

Zinsmeister finished the game with three runs and three hits. The Hawks' fourth run was scored by Aaron Lupia, who finished with two hits. Vern Powell had three hits and zero runs but had two RBIs.

Chris Douglas pitched five innings and gave up one run off of three hits. IUP had a 4-1 lead when Stephen Cooke was brought in to close the game for IUP.

Cooke (2-4) gave up four runs, hits and errors.

For Bloomsburg, Eric Geedey (1-0) picked up his first win, giving up one run from three hits.

The two losses puts IUP in fifth place in the PSAC West. Bloomsburg remains seventh after the two wins.

The Hawks will take the road to play Mercyhurst 1 p.m. Friday just before coming back home to face Mercyhurst again.