April 6, 2009
Box Score
CLARION - Behind a gem from senior Chuck Roller, the Clarion University baseball team split a home doubleheader with PSAC-West rival IUP Monday afternoon.
Roller allowed a first-inning run in Game One to the Crimson Hawks before tossing six straight scoreless innings to pick up the complete-game victory. He allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out eight.
In Game Two, IUP scored seven times in the top of the fifth to get a 10-3 win over Clarion and earn a split of the both the doubleheader and the four-game series that started Sunday at IUP.
In Game One, IUP got a run in the top of the first off of Roller, but Clarion quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first when Matt Rossi hit a home run to left field. It was Rossi's third big fly of the year. Clarion then took the lead with some two-out lighting in the fourth.
Rossi started the rally with a 1-out walk but was still at first after a Jason Krimsky fly out. But he moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Matt White single. Kirk Hays then walked to load the bases before Scott Berkes doubled home two runs. Hays then scored on an error by the center fielder on the play.
In the second game, Clarion took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the third. Matt White had an RBI single in the inning.
But IUP scored seven times in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead, and then, after Clarion got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a single by Krimsky, the Crimson Hawks tacked on three more in the seventh.
Eric Panko took the loss going 4 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six. Brandon Slater pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits and three strikeouts. Kirk Hays pitched 1/3 of an inning allowing two runs, one earned, on one hit and three walks while striking out one and Matt White pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Matt White was 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead Clarion's offense. Erik Kempton, Rossi and Krimsky each added two hits.
Clarion is scheduled to return to action Tuesday, weather permitting, at Pitt-Bradford at 4 p.m. for a single, nine-inning game.
