April 14, 2010

Box Score

CLARION - Behind the bat of Scott Berkes and the arm of Kevin Gnacinski, the Clarion University baseball split a doubleheader from 20-win Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday afternoon at Clarion.

Berkes was 4-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs, while Gnacinski threw five shutout innings in Game Two to help the Golden Eagles to a 4-1 win, their fifth win in 10 days.

Pitt-Johnstown took the opener of the twinbill 8-0 thanks to a five-run fourth inning.

But in the nightcap, Clarion got an early 1-0 lead in the second thanks to a Chad White RBI single and then scored three times in the fourth with the big hit being a two-out, two-run single by Berkes.

Those four runs were all Gnacinski and two relief pitchers needed. Gnacinski picked up the win going five innings allowing just three hits while hitting a batter and striking out one. Brandon Slater pitched one inning of relief allowing one run on one hit and a walk while striking out one, while Mark White picked up his third save pitching a scoreless seventh allowing a hit and a walk and striking out two.

Kevin Keebler added a 3-for-3 performance at the plate in Game Two with two runs scored, while Sean Zimmerman had a 2-for-3 game. Erik Kempton also added an RBI, while Chad White was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

In Game One, Kempton was 2-for-3 collecting two of Clarion's three hits.

Keebler took the loss going 3 1/3 innings allowing seven runs, six earned, on seven hits and three walks while striking out one. Jordan Labue relieved going 2 2/3 innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out two. Chad White finished off with an inning of scoreless relief with one hit and a strikeout.

Clarion is now 6-24 on the season. The Golden Eagles are back in action at 1 p.m. Friday when they host Lock Haven in a PSAC-West doubleheader.