SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Traveling to Slippery Rock for the opening games of a four game series, the Clarion baseball team earned a pair of wins on Saturday afternoon, defeating Slippery Rock by scores of 8-7 and 7-3 in doubleheader action. The Golden Eagles now 14-15 and 5-5 in the PSAC West will finish the series tomorrow when they host Slippery Rock starting at 1 pm.
 
Game 1:
The Rock jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Clarion would tie the ballgame at three all in the next half inning. After Nick Fugh led the inning off with a strike out, designated hitter Brian Casper doubled to right field to give the Blue and Gold their second base runner of the game.

After Ben Barth struck out and reached on an error, a Dan Janoson single through the left side of the infield allowed Casper to make his way around the bases and score the first Clarion run. After Barth and Janoson stole the next ninety feet respectively, Cole Shaffer was hit by a pitch to load the bases with just one out. Chandler Palyas plated the second run when he flied out to right field and Alex Ficorilli evened the game when he singled scoring Janoson.

The score would remain the same until the top of the third when Clarion pushed two more runs across the plate. After catcher Thomas Lavin was hit by a pitch Fugh and Casper both singled to load the bases once again. On the next at bat Janoson would pick up two RBI's when he doubled down the right field line to push the Golden Eagle lead to 5-3.

Slippery Rock would tie the game and take the lead 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth inning but Clarion would take full control in the top of the fifth after Lavin led the inning off with a solo bomb to left field to tie the game at six. Fugh and Tim Irons singled in the next two at bats, both coming around to score on a pair of bunts to make the score 8-6.

The Rock would grab one more run back in the bottom of the seventh but relief pitcher Dereck Pritchard closed the door on any come back thought for the Green and White.

Nate Torbich got the nod on the mound in game one tossing 3.0 innings, surrendering six hits and striking out one. Bailey Durocher picked up his first win of the season going 1.1 innings allowing just one hit and striking out two. Pritchard earned the save for his second save of the season.

Ficorilli, Casper and Janoson all notched three hits a piece for Clarion with Janoson driving in four runs in four at bats.

Game 2:
Unlike game one Clarion jumped out to an early lead in game two and never gave The Rock a chance to make a comeback. The game was scoreless in until the top of the third inning when Chandler Palyas launched his third homerun of the season over the right field fence to start the scoring.

After an Alex Ficorilli double and a Nick Fugh walk, Thomas Lavin singled to right field scoring Fugh pushing the lead to two. After a double steal put both runners in scoring position and a Bryce Jackson walk, Ben Barth singled to right field to score two more runs giving Clarion the 4-0 advantage.

The score would remain 4-0 until the top of the fourth inning when Clarion added two more runs. After Cole Shaffer reached on an error and Palyas was drilled with a pitch a SAC bunt from Ficorilli allowed both runners to move up 90 feet into scoring position. Lavin came to the plate with two outs and made the error made to start the inning hurt as he doubled to center field allowing both runners to come around and score giving the Blue and Gold a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Rock scored one run in the bottom of the fourth but Clarion took that one run back in the top of the fifth after Dan Janoson scored Tim Irons from third making the score 7-1.

Slippery Rock would score one run in the fifth and one run in the seventh but that's all the closer they would get falling 7-3.

Kyler Thompson picked up his third win of the season tossing 4.2 innings of baseball, allowing just two runs while fanning four Rock batters. Lavin paced the Clarion offense going two for three driving in three Golden Eagle runs.