CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion baseball team played its first home games in nearly a month on Friday, but the Golden Eagles were swept by Seton Hill in a doubleheader. The Griffins won by scores of 14-3 and 9-0, respectively. Clarion falls to 4-23 overall and 1-15 in PSAC West competition.
In both instances the Griffins amassed big leads in the top of the second inning, scoring six in that frame of the first game to go up 6-0 and tacking on five runs at the same spot in the second game to go ahead 5-0. The Golden Eagles settled down after the outburst in the second game but were unable to come all the way back, with Seton Hill scoring twice more in the later innings to seal the win.
John Finke went a combined 4-of-6 at the plate in the two games with a run scored.
Tyler Delval stood out in the first game, going 2-of-3 with a double, a walk and three RBI's, and Mitchell Holmberg went an impressive 3-of-4 in the nightcap.
Mason McGuire drove in the lone run for Clarion in the second game.
Game 1 starter
Kyle Armagost took the loss after giving up 11 runs – seven earned – in 3.2 innings pitched against the Griffins.
Sean White started and lost in the nightcap, giving up seven runs in 6.0 innings pitched.
Seton Hill jumped out to a commanding lead in Game 1, going up 13-0 entering the home half of the fifth inning. The Golden Eagles finally broke through by chipping away at starter Perry Dellavalle, starting with a leadoff single by Finke. Holmberg advanced him to third by punching a single through the right side to put runners on first and third with one out, and Delval drove them both home by pulling a liner down the left field line for a two-out, two-run double, making t 13-2. Delval had the only other RBI of the game for the Golden Eagles, scoring
Seth Mley on a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mley came in to pinch hit for
Dillon Wolbert at the start of the inning and was hit by a pitch.
Clarion allowed five runs in the top of the second inning in Game 2 but got one of those tallies back right away in the home half of the inning.
Austin Mike led the inning off with a single and advanced to third on an opposite field single from Finke. McGuire did the rest from there, lifting a long fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly. The inning unraveled from there, though, as Finke was picked off at first base and
Brian Laurito struck out to end the inning.
No Clarion baserunner made their way into scoring position until the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Golden Eagles trailing 9-1. Finke beat out a grounder to second base to lead off and Holmberg pulled a pitch into left field to put runners on first and second with two outs.
Josh Ponsoll ripped a high fly ball to center field, with the Griffins tracking down the ball to end the game.
