April 19, 2008
CLARION - Clarion's John Hynes threw a six-hitter, and the Golden Eagles got a timely two-out base hit from Matt White in the fourth inning to claim their first home win of the season with a 3-2 victory in Game Two of a PSAC-West doubleheader with Lock Haven Saturday afternoon.
Hynes allowed just the two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three. He got help from a defense that turned three double plays behind him.
The win allowed Clarion (9-20 overall, 3-13 PSAC-West) to earn a split of Saturday's twinbill. Lock Haven (15-29, 5-11) won Game One 18-1 thanks to an 11-run first inning.
Game Two started out similar with the Bald Eagles jumping out to a 1-0 lead. But Hynes then threw up zeros in five of the next six innings while never allowing Lock Haven to get a crooked number on the scoreboard in any inning.
Clarion's offense had just three hits, but all three came in a three-run fourth inning.
Cedric Johnson started the inning with a walk and Jason Krimsky and Matt Rossi followed with singles to load the bases. After Jake Yackovich grounded into a fielder's choice with Johnson out at the plate, Doug Brown was hit by a pitch tying the game at one. Jordan Premick then popped out, and it looked like Lock Haven would escape without farther damage. But White came through with a two-run single to give the Golden Eagles a 3-1 lead.
Lock Haven got a run back in the sixth and had the tying run on second with one out. But Hynes pitched out of the jam and then set the Bald Eagles down in order in the seventh.
Game Two was quite a turnaround from Game One when Lock Haven sent 14 batters to the plate in the first inning scoring 11 runs off of starter and loser Paul Baker. Baker didn't get any help from his defense, which committed five errors in the inning while also muffing a potential double-play ball early in the inning that resulted in Clarion getting just one out instead of two.
Lock Haven then batted around again in the seventh inning sending 11 batters to the plate while scoring six more runs.
Wildness on the mound and errors hurt Clarion in the game. Lock Haven scored its 18 runs despite having just 11 hits. The Golden Eagles committed eight errors, walked six batters and hit five more.
Baker did save the bullpen going five innings while being charged with 12 runs, 10 earned, on seven hits, five walks and four hit batters. He struck out two. Jonathan Giuliani finished up going two innings and allowing six runs, just two of them earned, on four hits, a walk and a hit batter. He struck out one.
Clarion had two hits on offense, a double by Adam Foltz and a single by Rossi. Brown had the lone RBI.
The Golden Eagles return to action Tuesday when they host Penn State-Beaver at 1 p.m. in a doubleheader. Clarion finishes up PSAC-West play next weekend with four games vs. Slippery Rock including a pair at Clarion Saturday. The Golden Eagles then finish the season with eight non-conference tilts.
