CLARION, Pa. – Despite leading most of the second game, the Clarion baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Seton Hill, falling 5-3 in the early game, followed by a 5-2 loss in seven innings in the nightcap.
(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)
The losses drop Clarion to 11-12 overall and 2-2 in conference play, while Seton Hill improves to 10-10, 2-2 in the PSAC West and allowed the Griffins to even the weekend series with the Golden Eagles, who took two games from Seton Hill Saturday in Greensburg.
Game 1 Sunday
The visiting Griffins got on the board first in the top of the first inning thanks to a pair of infield singles, a walk, a sac fly and a wild pitch that plated two runners, making the score 3-0 early, The score would remain the same until the top of third when third basemen Tommy Pellis hit a homerun over the left field fence to put the Griffins up 4-0. Seton
Hill added a security run in the top of the sixth when a Ryan Grieco double scored one run putting Seton Hill in command 5-0.
The Golden Eagles went on a tear in the bottom of the sixth inning picking up three runs, threating the Seton Hill lead. Bryce Jackson got the inning started with a walk, then came around to score during the next at bat when Thomas Lavin singled to center field pulling Clarion within four runs. Lavin advanced to second on a passed ball a few pitches later putting himself in scoring position with just one out.
Alex Ficorilli continued his hot hitting stint, doubling to right field allowing Lavin to score from second to make the score 5-2. Tim Irons came to the plate after Ficorilli and made his at bat count, singling to right field, plating Ficorilli from second base to push the score to 5-3, but that is as close as the Blue and Gold would get as they were sent down in order in the bottom of the seventh innings.
Kyler Mellott took the loss for the Blue and Gold tossing six complete innings allowing seven hits and one walk while crossing up seven Griffin batters.
Irons led the offense for the Golden Eagles going 2-for-3 at the plate and driving in one run.
Game 2 Sunday
Unlike game one Clarion took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and held that lead for most of the afternoon.
Left fielder Nick Fugh got the scoring started for the Blue and Gold, hitting a bomb over the left field fence for his first home run of the season giving Clarion the early lead.
Starter Jeremy Frazier held the Griffins scoreless until the fifth inning when a sac fly to left field scored Chris Law from third to knot things up at one all. Frazier tossed 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and one walk while fanning two Seton Hill batters.
Derrick Pritchard came in, in relief tossing 2.1 innings giving up just three hits and striking out three.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the sixth inning when Ficorilli singled up the middle, a sac bunt from Jackson allowed him to advance to second and a groundout from Lavin let Ficorilli advance to third. Fugh came to the plate next already swinging a hot bat but that wouldn’t matter, Ficorilli advanced and scored on a balk by the Seton Hill pitcher to give Clarion the commanding 2-1 lead. Fugh would single up the middle on the very next pitch but the inning would get ended when Irons flew out to left field.
Heading into the top of the seventh inning Clarion had Seton Hill on the ropes until two singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the visiting Griffins. Tommy Pellis came to the plate with two outs in the inning but proved clutch launching a grand slam over the left-center field fence for four runs, putting the Griffins ahead 5-2 and the game out of reach.
Fugh led the offensive attack going 2-for-3 with a homer, while four other players picked up hits for Clarion, but the Golden Eagles left four men on base and were unable to plate any runs in the bottom half of the seventh.
The Blue and Gold will be back in action next weekend when they head to Erie to take on the Gannon Golden Knights for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
CLARION SWEEPS SETON HILL SATURDAY
GREENSBURG, Pa. – For the first time in school history, the Clarion University baseball team swept the two-time defending PSAC Champions, the Seton Hill Griffins in an afternoon doubleheader Saturday afternoon in Greensburg, winning game one by a score of 9-1 and game two 10-4. The pair of wins move the Golden Eagles to 11-10 on the season and 2-0 in PSAC play. The Golden Eagles have already matched their win total from last year with the pair of wins today. The Blue and Gold will return to action Sunday when they take on the Griffins for an afternoon doubleheader at Memorial Field in Clarion.
Game 1 Saturday
Clarion picked up its first conference victory of the season in thrilling fashion in game one, as third basemen Alex Ficorilli got the scoring started in the top of the fourth inning when he singled to left field scoring Thomas Lavin who singled to lead off the inning, while Nick Fugh who reached on an error advanced to third. Tim Irons was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count to load the bases and Will Constantin made the score 3-0 in favor of the Eagles when he singled through the right side and drove in two runs.
In the next at bat Chandler Palyas drove in Irons when he flew out to left field, giving the Blue and Gold a solid 4-0 lead.
Clarion would grab three more runs in the top of the fifth inning much in part to a Ficorilli double that scored Bryce Jackson who reached base on a walk. Following up the double in the very next at bat Irons singled up the middle and plated two more Golden Eagles giving Clarion a commanding 7-0 lead.
Seton Hill would grab one run back in the bottom of the fifth but that’s all they would get on the afternoon.
Clarion would tack two more on in the top of the sixth inning to ultimately put the game out of reach when Palyas who double to left field and advanced to third courtesy of a Ben Barth single scored on a wild pitch. Lavin doubled to right field on a 2-1 count to score Barth and give Clarion a 9-1 lead and the game.
Starting pitcher Nate Torbich threw a whale of a game, tossing 5.1 innings of one-run baseball, fanning five Griffin batters and walking just three. The Blue and Gold enjoyed a solid outing at the plate as well, putting up nine runs off of 12 hits.
Game 2
Not to be outdone by Torbich’s outing in game one, Clarion hurler Kyle Thompson stepped up with a complete-game outing in game two, striking out three and surrendering just eight hits over seven innings.
And again, much like in game one, it was the Golden Eagles striking while the iron was hot to take back the lead in the top of the third inning. After the Griffins scored one in the bottom of the first Clarion took the lead in the third and never looked back. Constantin got the Golden Eagles on the board scoring on a wild pitch to even the game at one all. The score wouldn’t remain tied for long though. Lavin came to the plate worked the count to 1-1 and launched a bomb over the left-center field fence to clear the bases and give Clarion a 4-1 lead.
The Griffins matched that home run with a solo homer of their own in the bottom of the third to pull Seton Hill within just two. Seton Hill would pull within one run in the bottom of the fourth when a single to left plated one run.
Clarion would put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth inning scoring four runs starting with a Palyas single that plated Cole Shaffer and Ficorilli, Dan Fox also came in to score after a throwing error allowed him to advance home. Barth scored Palyas on a sac bunt to make the score 8-3.
Clarion tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh when Irons scored on a fielding error by the Griffin left fielder and Shaffer scored on a fielding error by Seton Hill’s third basemen making the score 10-3 in favor of the Blue and Gold.
Seton Hill added one more run in the bottom of the seventh but that’s all they would get.
Kyle Thompson went the distance tossing 7 complete innings striking out three and walking just one to give him his second win of the season.
