Boxscore

Freshmen Devin Doutt (Lower Burrell/Burrell) and Evan Phillips (Harrisburg/Susquehanna Township) allowed only three hits in 7 1-3 innings of stellar relief pitching, and IUP scored three times in the eighth inning to rally past Bloomsburg 6-4 to move into the PSAC tournament championship game.

The Crimson Hawks (22-27) defeated the Huskies for the second time in as many days to improve to 3-0 in the tournament, the most wins IUP has had in the postseason since winning the conference title in 1990. IUP will play Mercyhurst for the championship Saturday at 1 p.m., after the Lakers eliminated Millersville 4-2 in 12 innings in the final game Friday.

Trailing 4-2, Cory Sawka (Uniontown/Uniontown) led off the top of the eighth with a bunt single and moved to third on a single by Robbie Zinsmeister (Hatfield/North Penn). Frank Sirolli (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) walked to load the bases and chase Bloomsburg starter Gino D'Amato. Matt Kline walked Vern Powell (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca) to force in a run, and Mike Lupia (Middletown/Middletown) plated Zinsmeister with a fielder's choice grounder to tie the game.

Lupia was then picked off first by Kline but stayed in a rundown to allow Sirolli to score what proved to be the game-winning run. The Crimson Hawks added an insurance run in the ninth when Zinsmeister singled in pinch runner Jake Shaffer for his fifth hit of the game.

Zinsmeister had three singles, a double and triple for the sophomore shortstop's first career five-hit game.

Meanwhile, Doutt and Phillips shut down the Husky bats after Bloomsburg scored three times in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 lead to give IUP the chance to pull out the win. Doutt relieved starter Craig Hibell (New Bethlehem/Redbank Valley) with two outs in the second and escaped a bases loaded jam to keep it a one-run game.

After working only 9 1-3 innings entering the tournament, Doutt retired the side in order in the third and walked two batters and hit another over the next two innings but got out of a potential fifth inning jam when Vince Smarrelli was caught stealing at third. A double and bunt single put runners on first and third with nobody out in the sixth when Phillips came in to relieve Doutt.

The lefthander got a double play grounder to allow one run to score but kept IUP in front 4-3. Phillips then worked a perfect seventh, stranded the tying run at second in the eighth and retired the side in order in the ninth, including two strikeouts, to wrap up the win.

Phillips evened his record at 1-1 on the season. D'Amato took the loss, allowing six hits and five runs in seven innings. The Huskies finished their season with a record of 23-21, having won earlier in the day against Shippensburg to set up their rematch with the Crimson Hawks.