CARY, N.C. – IUP broke out offensively and got some timely pitching late in a 10-8 win against Angelo State on Thursday at the 2024 NCAA DII College World Series in Cary. The Crimson Hawks stave off elimination for a third straight game, setting up a rematch against Angelo State tomorrow afternoon for a berth in the national championship game.
IUP (41-17) snapped a six-game winning streak in Cary for the defending national champions in Angelo State (43-20), setting up a decisive national semifinal matchup tomorrow against the Rams. The Crimson Hawks had to hold off a final push from ASU in the 10-8 victory with the go-ahead run at first base in the ninth inning.
Elijah Dunn powered the IUP offense on Thursday, going 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI and two runs scored. His two-run home run in the first set the tone in a back-and-forth battle. Blaise Zeiders added a second home run for the Crimson Hawks in a deep ballpark, finishing off a big fourth inning with his second home run of the season.
The win is the latest against elite competition in Cary for the Crimson Hawks, who have eliminated top-seeded Central Missouri and fourth-seeded Point Loma in addition to Thursday’s win against Angelo State in the double-elimination tournament.
IUP entered Thursday with just three extra-base hits in the 2024 NCAA DII World Series. The Crimson Hawks cashed in on Thursday, going 7-for-19 (.368) with runners on base in the win and fending off a late push from the Rams.
Mark Edeburn pitched five innings on four days rest in his second NCAA DII College World Series appearance this week. Edeburn allowed six hits and five earned runs over 89 pitches. Jimmy Tooley, Bryce Devan and Casen Sandri finished out the game on the mound.
Ricardo Aponte led the IUP lineup with three hits and Harrison Pontoli scored three runs. Dunn changed IUP’s offensive fortunes in a big way with one swing of the bat in the first inning, pummeling a two-strike pitch out to center field for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Already a historic season, IUP continues to add to its school record win total (41) in 2024 during its first trip to Cary and the NCAA DII College World Series.
Edeburn struggled with control in the early going. Angelo State loaded the bases with nobody out in the second following a walk and hit by pitch. Edeburn got out of the jam relatively unscathed, surrounding just one run in the frame on a groundout.
Edeburn alertly picked off a runner at first base before a flyout ending Angelo State’s second inning threat. IUP got the run right back in the second inning, coming up clutch with two outs. Pontoli punched a ball back up the middle, scoring David Kessler from second for a 3-1 advantage.
Aponte followed it up with a single, chasing Angelo State starter Dax Dathe. With the bases loaded, Brady Yard was hit by a pitch for a 4-1 IUP advantage. Angelo State countered with the next two runs, pushing one across in both the third and fourth innings.
Dunn came up in a big spot again for IUP in the fourth, lacing a two-run double to the left center gap for a 6-3 advantage. The double kickstarted a fourth inning eruption for the Crimson Hawks, capped off by a 376-foot blast over the right field fence by Zeiders. It marked the second home run of the season and first since March 14 as IUP charged ahead 8-3.
The Rams got two runs back in the fifth inning, slicing the IUP lead to 8-5. Jimmy Tooley logged a shutdown inning in relief for the Angelo State half of the sixth. Tooley’s scoreless fifth inning began a pitching battle into the seventh inning with both bullpens holding down the fort for a time.
The Rams got back within one (8-7) on a two-run double from Ryder McDaniel. From there, IUP called on Bryce Devan for a third consecutive day with one inning of key relief. Aponte tacked on an insurance run with his third hit of the afternoon for a 9-7 lead. Zach Miller converted a key safety squeeze, expanding the IUP lead to 10-7.
With two outs, Sandri collected his third save of the season. As a pitching staff, IUP matched the program’s single-season record with 333 strikeouts.
Up Next
IUP and Angelo State will meet again on Friday, June 7 at 1:30 p.m. The winner advances to the national championship game on Saturday.