BUTLER, Pa. – The Clarion baseball team concluded their weekend against Slippery Rock on Monday, falling by scores of 8-6 and 9-4 despite impressive rallies in each contest.  The Golden Eagles (6-17, 1-7 PSAC) will return to action this weekend with a four-game series against California (Pa.).
 
Clarion nearly erased a seven-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 1, and likewise almost rallied from an identical deficit late in the second game as well.  However, in each instance the Rock were able to hold them off, stranding Golden Eagles on the basepaths in the former and adding two insurance runs in the latter.
 
Game 1 – Slippery Rock 8, Clarion 6
 
The Rock tallied runs in each of the first five innings, ultimately scoring six off starter Dereck Pritchard (1-2).  Chandler Palyas reached on an error and scored in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 7-1, but Frankie Jezioro scored Luca Fuscardo in the top of the seventh to extend the lead. 
 
Clarion's rally in the seventh chased two pitchers and put them back in the hunt.  Bryce Jackson and Dustin Daihl led off with back-to-back walks, with Jackson eventually coming around to score on a wild pitch.  Nick Fugh rapped an RBI single to plate Daihl, and Cole Shaffer smacked a two-run single through the left side to score Fugh and Devin Beverly to make it 8-5.  Palyas came across on a wild pitch to make it 8-6, and Brady Andrew walked with two outs to put the tying run at the plate.  Jackson hit a sharp grounder to second base but couldn't quite beat out the throw to end the inning.
 
Game 2 – Slippery Rock 9, Clarion 4
 
Slippery Rock again jumped out to an early lead, scoring twice off starter Chance Miranda (0-3) before he settled down.  Miranda kept the Rock off the scoreboard again until the fourth inning, when they tallied five runs to take a 7-2 lead.
 
Fugh and Max Mari each pounded two-run singles in the bottom of the fifth inning, cutting Slippery Rock's lead to 7-4.  The rally came to an abrupt end, though, when Mari was caught stealing second base.  Ryan Wise and Abraham Mow hit back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend the lead to 9-4, halting the comeback and delivering the win.