Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Freshman Jordan Syfert's one-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning scored fellow freshman Paige Baker all the way from first to give the Clarion University softball team its first win of the season, 5-4, over Pikeville (Ky.) Tuesday afternoon in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
 
Later in the day, the Golden Eagles dropped a 13-2 decision to Philadelphia University in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in a game that was a lot closer than the final score.
 
But the obvious highlight of the day for Clarion (1-3) was the opener of the day against Pikeville.
 
In a back-and-forth contest, Clarion struck the final blow in the eighth by not allowing potential disappointment a batter earlier to effect the day.
 
Playing with the international tiebreaking rule that places a runner on second with no one out starting in the eighth inning, the Golden Eagles failed to execute a sacrifice bunt when Baker's bunt stopped right in front of home plate, and Pikeville catcher Eady Beth Connally was able to throw out Taylor Powell, the runner placed at second, for the first out of the inning.
 
But Syfert, playing in just her second collegiate game, smoked a ball deep into the leftfield corner at the baseball field turned softball venue, and Baker was able to scoot all the way around for the winning run.
 
It capped a fantastic game by Syfert, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run scored.
 
Syfert's hit also gave a well-deserved win to junior pitcher Shawnna Crago.
 
Crago, who missed all but two innings last year with an injury, was strong in her return to the circle becoming the first Golden Eagle pitcher in nine years to strikeout at least 10 batters while allowing just two earned runs, four in all, in eight innings of work on seven hits and three walks. Her 10 punchouts included four in a row from the seventh into the eighth innings including striking out the side in the seventh. She is the first Clarion hurler to strike out at least 10 in a game since Dana Harting fanned 11 vs. Seton Hill April 13, 2005.
 
The game itself was a back-and-forth affair with Pikeville taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on an unearned run when Syfert was charged with a passed ball on a strikeout of Hollie Hinkle that would have been the third out of the inning.
 
But Crago picked up her catcher when she got Sarah Kinney to groundout with the bases loaded later in the inning.
 
Syfert and fellow freshman Autumn Babcock then gave Clarion the lead with a three-run second inning.
 
After Taylor Powell drew a one-out walk, Baker singled putting runners on first and second, and Syfert doubled to deep center to tie the game at one.
 
Then, following a strikeout, Babcock delivered a clutch double to center as well scoring both Baker and Syfert to give Clarion a 3-1 lead.
 
Pikeville fought back in the fourth scoring two runs to tie the game thanks to three hits and a Clarion error.
 
Kinney started the rally with a leadoff triple to right, and an out later Kayla Brown infield single brought her home.
 
Brandi Jo Howard then reached on an error by first baseman Powell before a two-out single to center by Connally tied the game. Centerfielder Kirsten Wilcox, though, kept the contest tied when she gunned down Howard trying to score from second on the base hit.
 
Pikeville threatened to take the lead in the fifth when its first two batters reached, but Crago got a strikeout and two groundouts to end the threat, and her teammates rewarded her with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the inning.
 
Wilcox led off with a single, was bunted to second by Elizabeth Shiring and scored on a two-out single to right by Christina Tressler.
 
But Pikeville answered in the top of the sixth thanks to a one-out triple by Howard and a grounder back to the mound by Taylor Weeks, who reached safely when Crago's throw was low. The Bears then had runners on second and third with two outs in the inning, but Crago got Emily Castle to fly out ending the inning.
 
Clarion had a great opportunity in the seventh to win the game when Shiring singled leading off and moved to second on a Tressler one-out single to rightcenter. But Powell struck out, and on the play Shiring was gunned down trying to steal third sending the game to extra innings.
 
Pikeville then placed Sara Browning at second to start the eighth with the international tiebreaking rule, but Crago struck out Brown trying to bunt and then got both Howard and Week to ground back to the circle.
 
Tressler also had a big game for Clarion going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
 
After hoping on a bus and traveling a half hour for its second game of the day, Tressler stayed hot going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI making her 6-for-8 on the day with two RBIs and a double, but Philadelphia scored four runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to break open a 5-2 lead.
 
The Rams scored first with a three-run top of the first before Clarion answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.
 
After back-to-back singles by Kayla Henderson and Shiring leading off the inning and a wild pitch, Megan Anderson lofted a sacrifice fly to right, and Tressler followed with a single to center to get the Golden Eagles within one.
 
Philadelphia got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second against reliever Lyndsay Jones, who was forced into early action when starter Chelsea Zola had to leave the game after one inning for precautionary reasons after a slight leg injury.
 
The Rams then added another run in the fourth to make it 5-2 before breaking things open late.
 
Clarion had its chances getting nine hits – Henderson added another one making her 2-for-4, while Powell was 2-for-3. But the Golden Eagles left nine on base.
 
Zola got the loss going one inning allowing three runs, all earned, on four hits. Jones pitched six innings allowing 10 runs, seven earned, on 13 hits while striking out two.
 
Clarion concludes its southern trip Wednesday with three games. The Golden Eagles have a doubleheader against Waldorf (Iowa) before finishing off with a single game against Philadelphia.
 
NOTES – Tuesday's first game was moved back two hours because of weather. It was a cold, wet day in South Carolina after Monday's games were cancelled because of rain.