CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion softball team played their final non-conference doubleheader of the season, falling by scores of 7-0 and 13-1 to Mercyhurst on Tuesday.  The Golden Eagles (6-40) will travel to Lock Haven on Friday before concluding their season on Saturday against Mansfield.
 
The Golden Eagles dropped the opening game by a score of 7-0, with the majority of the damage coming in the first two innings of play.  Paige Baker entered in relief in the top of the third inning and settled things down, allowing an inherited runner to score in the third but otherwise holding the Lakers to one run in five innings. 
 
Clarion had a chance to chip into what was a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, after Cassie Daniels and Casey Wilcox recorded back-to-back one-out singles.  Kim Burdett reached on a dropped fly ball in center field, but Aryn Boyer rolled a pitch over to shortstop to ground out and end the inning.
 
They had a similar chance in the bottom of the second, this time with Haley Pszyk reaching on a one-out single.  Natalie Else bunted her over to second, and Taylor Nonnenberg reached on a bunt single to put runners on the corners.  The runners got no further as Brigid Stermel grounded out to second.  Clarion saw two more runners reach scoring position in the game, but the big hit never quite came.
 
In the second game, the Golden Eagles cut into the Lakers lead early and had several chances to take the initiative themselves.  Their lone run came in the bottom of the third inning, after Stermel reached first on an errant throw by the shortstop.  Wilcox advanced her to third with a hard grounder to the shortstop, and Daniels drove her in by beating out a throw to first for an infield single, making it 3-1 for the Lakers.  Daniels stole second with one out to threaten again, but Laura Sadowski and Rachel Hoffman both popped up to end the inning.
 
Mercyhurst scored four in the next half inning to take a 7-1 lead, and carried on the attack from there in building a 13-1 lead.  Clarion had a chance to cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners on first and second with two outs, but Stermel lined a shot directly at the center fielder to end the inning.