Pitt-Johnstown hit six home runs, including three off the bat of Asher Corl and two from Justin Turcovski, but IUP swept the Mountain Cats 14-12 and 13-3 to open a four-game, home-and-home series, Friday afternoon in Indiana.  The Mountain Cats slipped to 15-17-1 overall and 3-11 in conference-play.

SCHEDULE NOTE:  DUE TO RAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR THE AFTERNOON,  SATURDAY GAMES AGAINST IUP AT POINT STADIUM WILL NOW START AT 11 A.M.
 
In the opener, IUP used RBI singles in the bottom of the first from Austin Mueller, Nick Hess, and Davin Landers to jump out to a 3-0 lead, but Pitt-Johnstown quickly cut it to 3-2 on Corl's two-run homer to center in the top of the second.
 
The Mountain Cats took the lead, 4-3, in the third when Mario Disso led off with a base hit and Dylan Broderick followed with a two-run homer to right, before an RBI double from Jake Ansell and Disso's run-scoring single in the four increased it to 6-3.
 
Markus Cestra began Crimson Hawks half of the four with a solo homer to cut it to 6-4.
 
IUP regained the lead with four more runs in the fifth.  Torrey Roper's two-run home run off of Mountain Cat starter Rodney Shultz knotted it a six, and Cestra's two-run double off of reliever Brando Souders made it 8-6.
 
Pitt-Johnstown loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth and came away with five runs.  Josh Reynolds delivered a pinch-hit two-run single that brought home Disso and Josh Ulery, and Corl belted his second homer of the game, a three-run shot to left field, to give the Mountain Cats an 11-8 advantage.
 
After he Crimson Hawks answered Pitt-Johnstown's five run sixth with six runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to go up 14-11, Turcovski's lead-off solo homer in the top of the seventh cut the Mountain Cat deficit to two.  However, Eli Glass was able to get the final three outs to earn the win in relief of IUP starter Jeremiah Williams.
 
Brady Walker took the loss in relief and slipped to 1-1 after surrendering four runs in the sixth inning.  Shultz got the no-decision after giving up six runs on nine hits in four-plus innings.
 
Corl went 3-for-4 with two homers and five RBI, while Disso and Ulery each collected three hits to lead the Mountain Cats.  Borderick hit a two-run home run, and Colin Pasone and Jake Ansell each doubled.
 
Cestra was 5-for-5 with four doubles, a homer, and five RBI for the Crimson Hawks.
 
In the nightcap, Colin Williams' three-run home run highlighted a six-run IUP first inning, ahead of Turcovski's two-run homer in the Mountain Cat half of the second that that cut it to 6-2.
 
Five more runs in the third increased the Crimson Hawks' lead to 11-2.  Corl's one-out solo homer in the fourth got a run back for Pitt-Johnstown, but that was as close as it would get.
 
Corl added two more hits, including his third homer of the day, Turcovski hit a two-run home run, and Tyler Smith and Reynolds had hits for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Taylor Squiric started for the Mountain Cats suffered the loss and slipped to 2-3.
 
With the sweep, IUP is now 17-15 overall and 8-6 in the PSAC West.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will wrap-up the PSAC series against IUP with a doubleheader at Point Stadium on Saturday starting at 11 a.m., before traveling to Shippensburg on Tuesday for a non-conference game.