CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion softball team ran into a red-hot Bloomsburg team at home on Wednesday, with the Golden Eagles falling by scores of 9-1 and 5-0 to the Huskies at Memorial Stadium. With the losses Clarion falls to 3-24 overall on the season and 1-11 in PSAC Central play.
The Huskies controlled action from the pitching circle on Wednesday, holding the Golden Eagles to one run over the course of two games. Clarion pitchers had a tough first game but settled down in the second, avoiding giving up the big inning, but the Golden Eagle batters had a tough day at the plate against Bloomsburg.
Autumn Babcock went 2-of-3 at the plate with a pinch hit single in Game 1 and another base hit in the second contest.
Rachel Hoffman broke up a no-hitter in Game 1 with an RBI single and pitched in both contests, making the start and taking the hard-luck loss in Game 2.
Casey Wilcox and
Paige Baker also recorded hits in Game 2.
Bloomsburg scored three runs in the top of the first inning off Game 1 starter
Kira Smith, who fell to 0-2 on the season with the loss in the opening game. The Huskies added two more in the fifth and enjoyed a four-run fifth inning to take a 9-0 advantage heading into the home half of the stanza.
Things started to unravel for Husky starter Sarah Bortner, who to that point had not allowed a baserunner. Wilcox became the first Golden Eagle to reach when Bortner airmailed a wild pitch for strike three, beating out the throw from the catcher to advance to first.
Paige Baker worked a walk on a seven-pitch appearance to put runners on first and second and Hoffman roped a liner into left field to bring Wilcox home. Babcock came up for
Kiersten Gromley and lined a single to left to load the bases, but
Cassie Daniels and
Taylor Nonnenberg both struck out to end the threat and give Bloomsburg a 9-1 decision.
The Huskies scored two runs in the top of the second inning in Game 2, with Emily Getz bringing home Erica Keen with a single down the left field line to cap the rally. The lead reached 3-0 in the top of the third and Bloomsburg eventually took a 5-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. The Huskies led off the inning with a triple from Taylor Parker and Kalynn Wheeland drove her in with a sacrifice fly.
Clarion put a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh; Baker struck a liner to left center field to lead off and moved to second on a groundout from Wilcox. Smith struck out to end the inning as Bloomsburg held on for the shutout.
