MANSFIELD, Pa. - The Clarion University baseball team split two games in a Wednesday double-header against Mansfield, losing game one 4-2 before earning a 9-4 win in game two. The win and loss move the Golden Eagles to 11-26 (4-16 PSAC) on the season. The Blue and Gold will return to action on Friday when they head to Greensburg, Pa. for a Friday afternoon double-header with Seton Hill.
Clarion came out of the gate in game one firing on all cylinders, taking advantage of a throwing error from the Mountie defense and stringing together a pair of hits to race out to an early 2-0 lead.
Mitch Holmberg drew a leadoff hit-by-pitch on the game's first at bat before shortstop Joe Lopez smacked a single to right field to put two men on. A
Dillon Wolbert groundout brought the first run across the plate for CU before an error or MU shortstop Taylor Hillson allowed Lopez to score again and make it 2-0.
Mansfield's bat were up to the task, however, and quickly rallied back in the bottom of the second. After knocking back-to-back-to-back hits to start of the bottom of the second, Mansfield took advantage of some aggressive base running, and coupled with a balk from Clarion hurler Brendon Fitzgerald, put up three runs off of three hits to regain the lead, 3-2.
The game would remain tight, as both pitchers cruised through a scoreless third and fourth before an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth from Mansfield gave the Mounties the insurance they needed to close things out and earn the win.
Clarion would buckle down and find a way to get things done in game two, enjoying a strong performance from their bullpen in the process.
The Eagles were able to open up another early lead courtesy of a
Tyler Falk solo blast and a
Brady Andrews two-RBI double in the top of the first that gave CU a 3-0 advantage early on. Mansfield struck back one inning later on a line single from Tanner Klein before tying things up at 3-3 in the second, taking Clarion starter
Chance Miranda for three hits and also drawing three walks in the process.
However, the Eagles would go to their bullpen to start the third, and it paid dividends. The combination of
Kyler Mellott,
Tiler Sadowski, Tom Connell, and
Joey Lopez combined to throw four innings of one-run ball, giving up just two total hits to the Mounties in the process.
The game remained deadlocked into the sixth until Wolbert finally broke things open for the Blue and Gold. Finding himself up to bat with a Falk on second, Wolbert smoked a ground ball down the left field line that scored Falk and put CU ahead 4-3.
John Finke kept the rally going two at bats later, driving in Andrews with another RBI single to push Clarion's lead to 5-3.
CU would keep the rally going in the seventh, knocking in four more runs to take a 9-4 advantage.
Kane McCall closed things out on the mound in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win for the Blue and Gold.
