April 9, 2008

CLARION - The Clarion University softball rallied twice in Game Two Wednesday to beat Tiffin 4-3 on a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to earn a split of the doubleheader with the 17-win Dragons.

Clarion, which lost Game One 13-5, trailed 2-0 at the end of a ½ inning before scoring twice in the bottom of the first to tie the game.

The Golden Eagles then went down 3-2 after three before tying the game in the fourth.

Clarion then took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Lauren Stauber led off with a double, her second of the game, was bunted to third by Katie Baun and scored on a wild pitch.

That run made a winner out of Lindsay Vevers who went all seven innings and allowed three earned runs on 11 hits, two walks and a hit batter while striking out five.

Stauber had two hits as did Lauren Martino and Carlie Cook. Martino, who had a double, also had an RBI and a run scored.

In Game One, Clarion was tied with Tiffin, who is in its first season of playing NCAA Division II after qualifying for the NAIA national tournament the last two seasons, 1-1 through four innings. But the Dragons scored five in the fifth and seven in the seventh to get the win.

Martino and Cook each had three hits in four at bats with Cook getting a double and a run scored and Martino an RBI. Stauber was 2-for-2 with a double, a triple and two RBIs and a run scored, and Nicole Lollo was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Caitlin Lamison took the loss going six-plus innings and allowing 11 runs, nine earned, on 10 hits and one walk while striking out two. Valorie Rankin went one inning allowing two earned runs on three hits.

Clarion improves to 3-16 on the season. The Golden Eagles return to action Friday when they host Edinboro in a PSAC-West doubleheader starting at 2:30 p.m.