Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Behind solid pitching and clutch hitting, the Clarion University softball team swept a doubleheader from Southern Vermont Wednesday morning in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
 
The Golden Eagles took Game One 4-2 behind the pitching of freshman Jessica Rohaus and the hitting of Kacie Nemeth and then rode both the arm and bat of Chelsea Zola to a 6-0 Game Two victory.
 
In the opener, Rohaus improved to 2-0 on the young season by going seven innings and scattering seven hits while walking four and striking out eight. She allowed two earned runs in the bottom of the fourth but also showed the poise of a veteran working around a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the same inning after the two runs had been platted.
 
Those two Southern Vermont runs cut into what had been a 3-0 Clarion lead.
 
The Golden Eagles scored twice in the top of the first taking advantage of a pair of Mountaineer errors that kept the inning going.
 
With two outs, Megan Anderson walked after having an at bat extended by a dropped foul ball by the SV catcher. Taylor Powell then reached on an error by the second baseman, and an Amanda Gough double to left followed by a Christina Tressler single to center gave Clarion a 2-0 early lead.
 
Clarion tacked on a run in the third when Gough walked and scored on a two-out double to center by Nemeth, who was 2-for-3 in the contest with the RBI and a run scored.
 
The Golden Eagles got an insurance run in the sixth when Nemeth led off with a single, moved to second on a two-out base hit by Emily Leininger and scored on a Megan Anderson RBI double.
 
Ashley Barenchik added two hits in three at bats in the game for Clarion.
 
In the night cap, Zola, a sophomore, did a little bit of everything.
 
She picked up her first career shutout by tossing seven strong innings of three-hit ball while striking out three and walking none.
 
The redheaded righty also helped herself at the plate going 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.
 
She was one of four Golden Eagles will three hits in the game, as eight of Clarion's nine starters had base knocks helping the team to 19 hits in the game.
 
Elizabeth Shiring was 3-for-4 with an RBI, Gough was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored and Nemeth was 3-for-4, Kayla Henderson, Anderson and Nicole Lindner each added 2-for-4 performances with Lindner scoring a run and driving one in and Henderson, a freshman, picking up her first career RBI.
 
Clarion took a 1-0 lead in the third, although it should have been 2-0 – an interesting interpretation of the infield fly rule cost the Golden Eagles a run.     
 
Zola led off the inning with a single, and Henderson and Shiring followed with bunt base hits to load the bases. Then, with one out, Gough delivered an RBI single to left brining up Taylor Sherry.
 
Sherry lofted a pop up to the second baseman who dropped the ball, but the infield fly was called meaning Sherry was still out. Gough attempted to take second at her own risk, something the rule allows her to do. The Southern Vermont second baseman stepped on second but didn't appear to tag Gough while Henderson crossed home plate.
 
Gough, thinking she was out, then left second base and headed to the dugout.
 
After a brief discussion, the umpires declared Gough out but didn't indicate whether Henderson's run counted or not. When asked, the home plate umpire stated Henderson's run didn't score because Gough was out on a force play. When it was pointed out that a force play wasn't an option on the infield fly, he then said she had been tagged out at second. Asked if Henderson scored before the tag, he said the base umpire said no.
 
Clarion didn't allow the interesting decision to hamper its efforts, though, as the Golden Eagles scored three more runs in the fourth.
 
Lindner doubled and scored on a single by Zola. Shiring then singled home Kirsten Wilcox on another interesting umpire call as she was originally called out at first despite the first baseman never being on the bag and Shiring clearly beating the ball to first. Wilcox, who had been at second, kept running crossing the plate as the Southern Vermont team left the field.
 
Clarion manager Shintrika Hudson appealed to the home plate umpire who over ruled the base umpire calling everyone safe and allowing the run to score. Gough then followed with an RBI single to center making it 4-0.
 
The Golden Eagles added single runs in the fifth and sixth.
 
In the fifth, Wilcox double to left with two outs, Zola singled her to third and Henderson recorded her first career RBI on a base hit to center.
 
The sixth inning saw Gough double to right and score on a single by Lindner.
 
Clarion is now 3-1 on the season and finishes its southern trip with a doubleheader against Rutgers-Camden Thursday starting at 9 a.m.
 
NOTES - The softball team honored the Seton Hill lacrosse team that was involved in a tragic bus accident Saturday that killed the driver and the head coach by wearning the initials "SHU" on their cheeks during the games. There was also a ceremony held at the complex following the conclusion of all games Wednedsay.