March 20, 2009

Box Score

CLARION- The Clarion University baseball team opened PSAC-West play on Friday afternoon at Memorial Field and dropped a pair of games to visiting California by scores of 9-6 and 7-5.

Clarion falls to 3-12 overall 0-2 in the PSAC-West, while California leads the PSAC-West with a 5-1 mark and is 16-5 overall this season. Clarion will travel to Cal for a doubleheader Saturday.

In the opening game Clarion battled back from 6-1 deficit, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Scott Berkes and Mark White started the inning with back to back singles. After a pair of strike outs, Matt Rossi doubled home Berkes and put runners at second and third. Matt White drew a walk to load the bases, and a run scored on a wild pitch,, moving runners up to second and third. Jason Krimsky hit a two-run single closing the Eagles to within 6-5.

Cal sealed the win scoring three runs in the sixth off of starter Eric Panko who went 6 innings giving up 9 runs, 7 earned, while striking out 6.

Krimsky and Matt White each had a pair of hits in game one to lead the Eagles.

In game 2 Clarion pounded out 11 hits and led 5-2 in the third and 5-3 in the sixth, but lost a heartbreaker when Cal scored 4 in the sixth to win 7-5.

Clarion jumped out to 2-1 lead in the first inning. With two outs Matt Rossi reached on an error, and scoed on a Matt White single that was misplayed by the centerfielder. Krimsky plated White with a single and the Eagles led 2-1.

The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 5-2 in the third. Rossi started the inning with a single, and scored on a single by Matt White that was bobbled in left field. White moved over to third on a Krimsky single and scored on a single from Sean Zimmerman.

Cal scored four runs in the top of the sixth getting 2 runs off starter Jon Hynes, and two off reliever Chuck Roller. Hynes went 5 innings allowing 5 runs, striking out 5 and walking 4. Roller came in in the sixth and pitched one inning allowing two runs, both earned, on three hits. Brandon Slater pitched a scoreless seventh.

Matt White had three hits for Clarion, while Adam Foltz, Krimsky and Zimmerman added two apiece.