BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg baseball team came up short against IUP, 10-7, in a non-conference matchup at Danny Litwhiler Field on Tuesday afternoon.
 
A pair of home runs from Wyatt Metzger (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) led the way for Bloomsburg (6-15) while IUP (12-4) posted 12 hits.
 
The Crimson Hawks broke open the scoring in the top of the second with an RBI-single to left field from Matt Luchovick that brought Brady Yard home from second.
 
After leading off the bottom of the third with a double, Jonathan LaBarbera (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) tied the game by crossing the plate as Josh Wilson (Clinton, Md./Bishop McNamara) reached base on a throwing error from a IUP's third baseman.
 
The Crimson Hawks jumped ahead in the top of the third, scoring six runs on six hits and an error.
 
Brady Ebbert (Etters, Pa./Red Land) battled through an eight-pitch at bat to lead off the bottom of the frame to reach first on a walk. Metzger connected for a two-RBI home run over the left-center field wall to close the gap with his fourth homer of the season. Owen Wilhide (York, Pa/Northeastern) scored on a passed ball to bring the Huskies within three.
 
Wilhide followed up his run in the fourth by bringing Jacob Reifer (Bloomsburg, Pa./Central Columbia Area) home on a sacrifice-fly to left field.
 
IUP extended its lead in the sixth by scoring three runs on a pair of wild pitches and an RBI-single.  
 
Metzger launched his second two-run home run of the day to straight-away center field in the sixth to bring the maroon and gold within striking distance.
 
Bloomsburg left five runners stranded across the final two innings as IUP claimed the 10-7 victory in a three-and-a-half-hour ball game.
 
Metzger went 2-for-4 with four RBIs on two home runs while also drawing a walk. Reifer scored twice while going 1-for-3 with a pair of walks.
 
Wilhide went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and an RBI while Ebbert drew three walks and scored once.
 
Starting pitcher Brain Walsh was tacked with the loss, giving up five hits and five runs in two-plus innings pitched.
 
IUP's Seb Roasdo-Guindin earned his first win of the season after holding Bloomsburg to zero hits and one run in his 2.1 innings of relief on the mound.
 
Bloomsburg concludes its five-game homestand with a PSAC doubleheader against Kutztown on Friday, March 29 at 1 p.m.