Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Clarion baseball team opened up Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play on Saturday, with the Golden Eagles dropping both ends of a twinbill to the California (Pa.) Vulcans at CONSOL Energy Park.  Clarion fell 4-2 in the early game and 11-4 in the nightcap.
 
Tyler Falk went a combined 5-of-7 at the plate on Saturday while also contributing a run scored and an RBI.  Josh Ponsoll also contributed a pair of multi-hit games, adding two hits in each contest, while John Finke, Matt Kamenicky and Austin Mike each had two hits in the late game.  
 
Clarion took an early lead in the first game of the day, going ahead 1-0 on the Vulcans in the top of the first inning.  Ponsoll hit a one-out double to get aboard and Mike Lockhart drove him in with two outs, smacking an extra-base hit to left-center to put the Golden Eagles ahead. 
 
The lead reached 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning, with Ponsoll again crossing the plate for Clarion.  He led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and stole third with two outs as Finke and Lockhart both struck out.  Falk added the second of his three hits in the first game to bring him home, lining a ball to left center to bring home Ponsoll and make it 2-0.
 
California responded with a run in the bottom of the third inning and tied the score in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single.  The Vulcans tagged starter Tyler Delval for two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead, and they shut out the Golden Eagles the rest of the way for the win.  Delval allowed four runs for the loss.
 
The Golden Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the late game as well, starting with a manufactured run in the first.  Ponsoll reached on a one-out double and advanced to third after Finke reached on a passed ball after striking out.  Finke was thrown out attempting to steal second but Ponsoll crossed to make it 1-0.  Mike struck in the second inning, driving in Falk from third base to make it 2-0, but the Vulcans scored five in the bottom of the inning to go ahead 5-2.
 
Lockhart drove in Ponsoll in the bottom of the third to make it 5-3, and Delval bashed a home run to right field in the fourth to make it just a 5-4 contest.  California responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, though, and the Vulcans held on for the 11-4 win.