INDIANA, Pa. – Anytime a team gets 15 hits and three homeruns they expect to win and that’s exactly what happened today as Lock Haven’s baseball team (11-18, 2-3 PSAC West) pounced IUP 17-2 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western division affair.

Matt Palko (Freeland, Pa./Hazleton Area) and Evan Petro (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) each went yard with Palko hitting a pair of home runs for the Bald Eagles as they pounded around the Crimson Hawk pitching staff all game.

LHU got the scoring started in the second inning off a two RBI single by Mark Strouse (Milford, Pa./Delaware Valley) which gave The Haven the early advantage.

Palko’s first long shot of the contest would be part of a 4-5 game for the junior first baseman and would give Lock Haven a three run advantage as LHU would tack on four more additional runs, three of which came off an Evan Petro homer, to extend their lead to 7-0.

LHU would tack on ten more runs across the game including a six-run fifth inning which saw the Bald Eagles bat through the lineup.

While The Haven’s offense was hitting the ball all over the yard, sophomore local Josh Rote (McElhattan, Pa./Central Mountain) was mowing down IUP batters.

Rote would toss six innings and allow only four hits and two unearned runs before Bald Eagle quarterback turned pitcher Tyler Golden (Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone) would come in and pitch a solid inning of relief allowing no hits and striking out two Crimson Hawk batters.

Game two of the twinbill ended due to darkness with IUP coming to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning with a 1-0 lead over LHU.

Both teams will wrap up game two of today’s doubleheader tomorrow at noon, as IUP comes to The Haven. The double-dip rescheduled from Friday will take place directly following the conclusion of the final three and one half innings of today’s delayed contest.