BUTLER, Pa. – The Clarion baseball team had a tough day against the 17th ranked team in the country, falling by scores of 2-1 and 10-9 to the Mercyhurst Lakers at Pullman Park in Butler.(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)
The Golden Eagles (17-27, 7-17 PSAC West) will be back in action next weekend when they host the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown for Senior Day on Friday, May 3.
Game 1
The first game of the day was the more closely contested of the two, as the Golden Eagles nearly rallied from a one-run deficit but ultimately fell 2-1 to the Lakers. Clarion took the early lead in the bottom of the second inning when Thomas Lavin doubled to right field scoring Nick Fugh who singled to start the inning.
Mercyhurst pulled back even in the top frame of the third when a tailor-made double play ball allowed the runner from third to cross the plate.
Bryan Layton (0-1) allowed two runs in five innings pitched but avoided the big inning, allowing just four hits, while striking out three Lakers batters. For the Lakers, Tyler Garbee tossed a complete game, allowing just one run on six hits, while fanning 11 Clarion batters.
Mercyhurst took the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning when a double to center field scored the go-ahead run giving the Lakers the 2-1 lead and ultimately the game.
The Golden Eagles threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh but a strikeout with a runner on first base ended the game.
Game 2
Despite the final score, the second game between the Golden Eagles and the Lakers was actually very close through the entire game. Mercyhurst got on the board first, scoring one run on the top of the first, thanks to an RBI single that gave the Lakers command early
The Lakers would go on to score three more runs over the span of the next three innings courtesy of three solo homers, two off of the bat of Luke Baranchak giving Mercyhurst a commanding 4-0 lead.
Clarion would battle back in the bottom of the fourth inning though scoring one run off the bat of a Bryce Jackson double that plated Ficorilli from third, pulling Clarion back within three runs at 4-1.
Things went the way of the Lakers from there, though, as they erupted for three runs in the top of the fifth inning almost putting the game out of reach for good but Clarion wouldn’t go away without a fight. Cole Shaffer plated Brian Casper with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 7-2.
After the Lakers scored two runs in the top of the sixth Clarion’s bats exploded in the bottom of the frame for six runs pulling back within just one of the Laker lead.
Chandler Palyas got the inning started with a leadoff triple and scored on the next at bat when Ficorilli singled to left. After Ficorilli stole second base, he came around to score on a Fugh single to left field. Fugh would advance to third on a Lavin double that one-hopped the center field fence and both would come around to score when a Casper fly ball was muffed in right field.
After Ben Barth was hit by a pitch in his at bat the runners on first and second came around to score when Dan Fox doubled to clear the bases pulling the Golden Eagles back with one run at 9-8.
Clarion would hold Mercyhurst out of the run column in the top of the seventh and would push across the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh when a Lavin single to center allowed Ficorilli to score making it 9-9. The Golden Eagles would threaten with runners on the corners but a line drive right back at the Mercyhurst hurler ended the inning for the Blue and Gold.
In extras, Mercyhurst loaded the bases off of one hit but was unable to push any runs across the plate as a pop fly to shortstop Dan Janoson ended the inning.
Dillion Wolbert led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single and advanced to second on a Janoson SAC bunt but the Blue and Gold couldn’t push any runs across.
With the score deadlocked at nine, Mercyhurst started the top of the ninth inning with a walk and that runner advanced into scoring position when Clarion reliever Tiler Sadowski balked on the mound. Sadowski would pick up a strikeout to end the inning giving the Golden Eagles one last opportunity to end the game.
As the game would stretch into the 14th, Clarion held the Lakers scoreless until a single plated the go-ahead run making it 10-9. Clarion started the bottom of the frame with a chance to tie the game up and take the win but a Jackson would get caught stealing home to end the threat as Mercyhurst was victorious.
