Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CLARION, Pa. –
Tyler Delval had a standout day on the mound and at the plate in leading the Clarion baseball team to split on Friday, tossing a complete game shutout in the Golden Eagles' 5-0 win over IUP and hitting a home run in a 7-6 loss to the Crimson Hawks. With the split, the Golden Eagles now have a record of 4-13 and a conference record of 1-5.
Delval threw an absolute gem in Game 1 against the Crimson Hawks, tossing seven shutout innings and facing just one batter over the minimum. He did not allow an IUP baserunner until two outs in the top of the fourth inning when Wes Carson hit a double to right field. The only other Crimson Hawk to reach base was Rick Jones, who led off the fifth with a single, but he was erased from the base paths after Delval induced a 6-4-3 double play.
He didn't have a half-bad day with the bat, either. Delval went 1-of-2 with a run and an RBI in the first game but was even better in the nightcap, going 2-of-4 with two RBIs and two runs. He smashed a solo home run over the left field wall in the home half of the fifth as the Golden Eagles attempted to come back from a 7-3 deficit. Clarion pulled to within 7-6 but was unable to plate another run in the seventh.
The majority of the Clarion damage in Game 1 came in the bottom of the first inning as the Golden Eagles touched up Christin McClure for four early runs.
Josh Ponsoll hit a one-out double and Delval followed with a walk, setting the table for
Tyler Falk. Falk ripped a single over the mound to drive in Ponsoll; following him was
Mike Lockhart, who worked McClure for a walk to load the bases.
John Finke made McClure pay for his wildness with a two-run single past the shortstop, putting the Golden Eagles ahead 3-0.
Matt Kamenicky eventually tacked on a fourth run with a single to plate Lockhart and keep the bases loaded with one out. The Crimson Hawks got some good fortune, however, when
Brian Laurito lined a shot to the third baseman in the next at-bat, with IUP doubling up Finke at third base to escape the inning.
Delval mowed down the Crimson Hawks for the remainder of the game, making the first inning lead stand for the entirety. The only other run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when
Austin Mike scored Lockhart from second on an RBI single.
IUP opened up a 5-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2 but the Golden Eagles were not deterred, very nearly pulling off the comeback. They scored three runs with two outs in the bottom of the third inning, starting when
Mitch Holmberg reached on an error by the first baseman. Ponsoll advanced him to third with a single through the right side and Delval brought him home with a hotshot directly at the third baseman that was bobbled. Falk cleaned up the rest with a two-run double to make it 5-3.
The Crimson Hawks added two runs in the top of the fifth to make it 7-3 but Delval struck in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run. Falk struck an RBI single to left field in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 7-5 and wrap a 4-for-4 game, and Finke led off the seventh inning with a home run to make it a one-run game.
