Miscues costly for IUP as Crimson Hawks' run in D-II World Series ends

CARY, N.C. — The IUP baseball team had to come a long way to make it to the semifinals of the Division II College World Series. But advancing through the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament was easy compared to what it took to get this far.

So even though the Crimson Hawks were eliminated one step short of a shot at a national championship, losing 7-3 to Angelo State at the USA Baseball Training Complex on Friday, their disappointment is eased by a sense of accomplishment few saw coming after a disastrous 2-35 season before coach Steve Kline was hired just three years ago.

“I was the first team coming back from that 2-35 year, and we could tell there was a culture change,” junior first baseman Brady Yard said of Kline’s arrival. “It really hit us when we came out. We never got down on ourselves, and we kept on fighting.”

That fighting spirit was on full display this week in Cary.

After losing a tight one-run decision to Point Loma in its D-II World Series debut last Saturday, IUP (41-18) stayed alive by eliminating top-seeded Central Missouri and winning a rematch against Point Loma before handing national champion Angelo State its first loss of the tournament to force Friday’s elimination game.

While everything seemed to go right in that 10-8 victory against the Rams (44-20), nothing went well for the Crimson Hawks in the game that mattered most.

“We got exposed a little bit, and they took advantage of it,” Kline said. “We didn’t get timely hits and timely outs. We didn’t think lucky today.”

They also didn’t help themselves, committing three errors, issuing eight walks, hitting five batters and leaving eight men on base.

Most of the self-destruction occurred in a second inning, from which IUP never recovered.

It started in the top of the inning when Yard was called for runner’s interference, turning an Angelo State overthrow into a rally-killing double play. And things got worse from there.

A throwing error by shortstop David Kessler put the Rams’ leadoff man on base to start the bottom of the inning, a miscue that seemed to rattle starting pitcher Sebastian Rosardo-Guindin.

Pressed into service for the first time since May 10 because of IUP’s early relegation into the losers’ bracket, the sophomore left-hander hit the next batter, allowed a bunt single, then walked two runners home before being replaced by Jason Madrak.

But Angelo State wasn’t through. It scored twice more in the rally, on an error by catcher Davin Landers and a sacrifice fly.

“I had a costly error that sparked that,” Kessler said afterward. “Who would have known what would have happened had it never happened?”

The Rams needed only one hit to score four runs. They added another run in the third and one each in the fifth and sixth to open up what proved to be an insurmountable lead despite being out-hit 9-6 by IUP.

“Just a little rough,” Kline said of his team’s effort.“We put 15 extra guys on base today. We talked about it all year. You can’t do that to good teams, and, unfortunately, we did it today in a big spot.”

IUP got its first run in the fourth on an RBI single by Yard that cut its early deficit to 5-1. But the Hawks stranded two runners in scoring position later in the inning and left two more men on in the fifth. They didn’t score again until senior pinch-hitter Zach Miller’s two-run homer in the ninth.

Although the late long ball didn’t help IUP stage a miracle comeback to send it into the championship round against Tampa, it did help it finish its memorable season on a high note.

“That’s what dreams are made of,” Kline said.

Only this dream might just be getting started.

“We got here,” Kessler said. “This is the standard now. There’s no stepping back now.”