INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA announced selections for the 2017 Division II Regional Men’s Golf Championships on Friday, with Clarion’s Sean Edgar earning a spot in the field as an individual.
It is the second time Edgar has been selected for Regionals, having also done so in 2015.
Regional play will be conducted from May 8-10, with the Atlantic/East Regional to be played at The Resort at Glade Springs in Daniels, W.Va. Edgar is one of three PSAC at-large bids, the others being Matt Barto and Daegan Wall of Gannon. Mercyhurst, California (Pa.), IUP, West Chester and Millersville will also represent the conference.
Edgar was the most consistent of the Golden Eagle golfers in 2016-17, averaging a 76.3 per round over the course of the year. His best two-day stretch came at Treasure Lake Golf Resort in the Hal Hansen Invitational, when he carded rounds of 73-77 for a two-day score of 150. His best single round of the year came earlier this spring when he shot a 70 on the second day of the Oglebay Resort Intercollegiate.
Of course, Edgar also has experience this year at Glade Springs. He carded rounds of 80-83-78 during the Glade Springs Intercollegiate over Sept. 12-13, 2016.
SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH LOCK HAVEN
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Senior Paige Baker twirled a gem in one of the final games of her college career, throwing a complete-game shutout against Lock Haven as the Golden Eagles split with the Bald Eagles on the road on Friday. Clarion won the early game by a score of 1-0 before dropping another pitchers’ duel in the late game, falling 2-0.
Baker (2-7) was dominant as she goes down the stretch in her college career, holding Lock Haven to five hits while striking out six Bald Eagles. There were a couple near-misses in which Lock Haven threatened to score, with Baker stranding runners on third in both the fifth and seventh innings.
The last of those instances came with the game on the line in the bottom of the seventh inning. After striking out the leadoff batter, Baker walked the next batter. She induced a popout for the second out, but pinch runner Paige Stuppy advanced to third base on an error that also placed Faith Ceely on second. Baker bore down with the final batter, though, freezing Jessica Strouse for a third strike looking to end the game.
Clarion didn’t get the game-winning run until the top of the sixth inning, though, as Lock Haven got similarly strong pitching. Taylor Nonnenberg led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on a misplay in left field. Casey Wilcox brought her around to score when she drove a single through the middle of the infield to make it 1-0.
In game two, Rachel Hoffman (5-14) was stuck with the hard-luck loss after allowing just two runs in six innings pitched. In her usual efficient fashion, she struck out five and walked none as she kept the Golden Eagles in the contest. Hoffman and Wilcox were the only two Golden Eagles to notch hits, though neither reached scoring position as Lock Haven controlled the game.
BASEBALL SWEPT BY SETON HILL
GREENSBURG, Pa. — The Clarion University baseball team dropped both games of a Friday doubleheader against the Seton Hill Griffins, losing game one by a score of 13-11 and game two 5-4. The losses move the Golden Eagles to 11-28 (4-18 PSAC) on the season. The Blue and Gold will return to action tomorrow afternoon when they host the Griffins at Memorial Stadium for a Senior Day doubleheader.
Game one was a wild, back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading off huge offensive innings that constantly kept the momentum in flux. Seton Hill drew first blood, going off for a four-run first on the backs of three errors from the CU defense.
However, the Golden Eagles answered right back in the top of the second. Joey Lopez ripped a two-RBI double down the right-field line to cut SHU’s lead to 4-2 shortly before Tyler Falk drove Lopez in with a double of his own to cut the gap down to just a run, 4-3.
Clarion continued to pour it on in the fourth, going off for five more runs. Dillon Wolbert smoked a triple down the right-field line that scored Lopez and Holmberg to even the game at five-all before a dropped third strike and a wild pitch allowed Wolbert to score from third and make it 6-5. Clarion. would tack on two more runs before the inning was out to lead 8-5.
However, Seton Hill would rally the bats and mount a brilliant comeback, scoring eight runs over the final three innings to go up 13-9. CU came close to tying things up in the seventh, however, fell just short and dropped game one 13-11.
Seton Hill carried that momentum right over into the start of game two, grabbing an early 1-0 lead courtesy of a solo home run from right fielder Mark Colella in the top of the first.
A fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly allowed Clarion back in the game in the second by netting them a pair of runs, however, Seton Hill managed to answer right back with an offensive outburst of their own just like in game one.
Clarion hurler Kane McCall gave the Golden Eagles six strong innings on the mound, striking out five on the afternoon. Unfortunately for the Blue and Gold, the solo homer in the first proved to be the difference, as the Eagles fell just short of completing the comeback in the seventh to lose 5-4.
