WILSON, N.C. — The Clarion University baseball team went 1-1 Monday in doubleheader action taking the opening matchup against Fairmont State 5-4 and dropping the second game to Kutztown by a final of 9-1.
Clarion is now 3-4 on the season. The Golden Eagles return to action Tuesday when they take on Lock Haven at Fleming Stadium.
Game one ended in dramatic walk-off fashion for the Golden Eagles with Clarion scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth to win it.
Shortstop Joe Lopez got the ball rolling with a leadoff single before advancing to second base shortly thereafter on a passed ball. Following a Brady Andrews walk, Tyler Falk drove in Lopez with a clutch sacrifice fly that sent Lopez home and tied the game at four. Andrews managed to advance to third on another wild pitch, and despite some creative infield shifting from FSU, John Finke ended the game on the next at-bat with a deep single to left field that drove in Andrews, a walk-off 5-4 win for Clarion.
Starting pitcher Kyler Mellott turned in a strong performance, going 6.2 innings with three strikeouts, however Reliever Tom Connell managed to work quickly and efficiently in the top of the inning, setting up one last chance for CU to steal it.
Game two against Kutztown was a tight defensive battle for the first six frames, however, this time around it would be Clarion on the receiving end of a big inning. Knotted at one apiece in the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Bears managed to break things open with a massive eight-run inning on the back of five hits courtesy of the Kutztown bats.
Clarion managed the first two outs with minimal damage, however, the third proved to be more elusive. After walking the bases loaded, Kutztown DH Dariel Richardson blew things wide open with a two-RBI double that cleared the bases. The Bears would add a few more just for good measure and eventually came away with the win.
SOFTBALL DROPS A PAIR
CLERMONT, Fla. – The Clarion softball team dropped a pair of decisions on the opening day of the PFX Games, falling by a 5-0 score to Bridgeport and a 6-0 score to St. Thomas Aquinas in Clermont on Monday. The Golden Eagles will be back in action with another doubleheader tomorrow.
Kimberly Burdett, Taylor Nonnenberg, Haley Pszyk and Cassie Daniels all recorded hits on the day, and although the Golden Eagles also drew four walks over the course of two games, they were unable to plate a run in the two contests. Kira Smith was effective in the circle, allowing just three earned runs in 6.0 innings pitched in the nightcap. Sarah Gossard allowed five runs – four earned – in the first game.
Gossard shut down Bridgeport for the better part of the game, however a big fifth inning gave the Purple Knights all the runs they needed. A two-run double and a two-run home run gave Bridgeport a 4-0 lead, and a number of errors allowed the Purple Knights to score their fifth run in the top of the sixth inning.
The best chance for a Clarion comeback came in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Brigid Stermel led off with a walk and Burdett advanced her to second with a single. Stermel was caught at third base on a delayed double steal to take her out of scoring position, and Pszyk’s liner to the third basemen ended the threat and the game for the Golden Eagles.
In the nightcap against St. Thomas Aquinas, Clarion trailed 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning but saw their best scoring chance of the day countered. Daniels and Pszyk hit back-to-back one-out singles to put runners on first and second, and Casey Wilcox sacrificed the pair over with a bunt. Smith tried to help her own cause but was unable to rap the ball through the infield, grounding out to end the inning.
TENNIS FALLS
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Clarion tennis team kept it close throughout their Monday morning match against East Stroudsburg, but the Golden Eagles were clipped by the Warriors by a 5-4 score in Hilton Head. Clarion (3-3) will continue action in South Carolina throughout the week.
For the second straight day, the Golden Eagles’ top two singles players notched wins, but this time the duo of Alivia Arnold and Maria Snyder also won in doubles action. The pair started their day with a convincing win over Amber Jadus and Kayla Loar in the No. 1 doubles match, winning by an 8-2 score.
Arnold and Snyder carried that momentum with them into singles play, with Arnold winning 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 1 singles match over Jadus. Snyder defeated Devin Presby by a 6-4, 6-2 score in the No. 2 singles match.
Rounding out the victories for the Golden Eagles on Monday was Allie Probst, who won her first match of the spring schedule. She delivered a straight-sets win over Aubrianna Stetina in the No. 5 singles match, winning 6-4, 6-3.
East Stroudsburg 5, Clarion 4
Doubles
1. Arnold/Snyder (CLAR) def. Jadus/Loar (ESU) 8-2
2. Bartoli/Zardet (ESU) def. Probst/Petrilla (CLAR) 8-2
3. Presby/Stetina (ESU) Def. Reddy/Benson (CLAR) 8-6
Singles
1. Alivia Arnold (CLAR) def. Amber Jadus (ESU) 6-2, 6-4
2. Maria Snyder (CLAR) def. Devin Presby (ESU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Marina Zardet (ESU) def. Vinisha Reddy (CLAR) 6-0, 6-0
4. Elizabeth Bartoli (ESU) def. Michelle Petrilla (CLAR) 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 (2)
5. Allie Probst (CLAR) def. Aubrianna Stetina (ESU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Lauren Morrissey (ESU) def. Katie Benson (CLAR) 0-6, 6-3, 1-0 (6)
