JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - The Clarion softball team earned a hard-fought split on the road on Friday, defeating Pitt-Johnstown 6-5 in the early game before falling by an 8-3 score in the nightcap.  The Golden Eagles (5-26, 2-12 PSAC Central) will return home for a doubleheader against Mansfield tomorrow afternoon.
 
Game 1
The Golden Eagles rebounded from a rough fifth inning to score three runs in the top of the seventh inning, stunning the Mountain Cats for a 6-5 come from behind victory in the first game of the day.    
 
The comeback started on a one-out single by Haley Pszyk down the left field line.  She was lifted for pinch runner Macy Rubin, and Laura Sadowski advanced her to third base with a double to left field.  Now with runners on second and third and just one out, Taylor Nonnenberg and Cassie Daniels recorded back-to-back singles to score the pair and put Clarion ahead 5-4.  Additional insurance came in the form of an RBI single from Moriah Lynn, who drove the ball to right-center to score Daniels and make it 6-4.
 
The Golden Eagles needed the insurance, too, as the Mountain Cats hit a two-out RBI single to cut the lead to 6-5.  Sarah Gossard (3-9) induced Olivia Porter into a groundout to end the inning and lock up the win.  She finished the complete game having allowed nine hits and five runs, but without issuing any walks to the Mountain Cats.
 
Nonnenberg went 2-for-4 at the dish in the early game, driving in two runs in the process.  Rebecca Kelley added two RBI and one run scored, while Daniels and Lynn also had RBI.
 
Game 2
Jessica Cartia hit her seventh and eighth home runs of the year, including a two-run blast in the sixth inning, but the Golden Eagles fell by an 8-3 score to the Mountain Cats in the nightcap. 
 
Cartia went 3-for-3 at the dish with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI, giving her a team-leading eight dingers for the season.  The only other hit in the game came from Daniels, who scored on Cartia's blast in the sixth.  Rubin (1-8) allowed five hits and six runs in the first inning for the loss.  Sadowski was strong in relief, throwing four shutout innings to keep the game in reach for the Golden Eagles.
 
Pitt-Johnstown held a 6-0 lead after a wild first inning, but Cartia responded with a solo shot in the top of the third inning.  The Mountain Cats tacked on two insurance runs in the home half of the inning, and that's where things stood until Cartia's homer in the sixth.