JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - Traveling to Johnstown to open up PSAC West conference play against Pitt-Johnstown, the Clarion baseball team dropped both ends of a double header at Point Stadium on Friday afternoon, by scores of 11-5 and 9-8.
The pair of losses moves the blue and gold to 2-9 overall and 0-2 early on in PSAC West play, while the Mountain Cats improve to 6-4 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC.
In game one it was UPJ who took the early lead and never looked back, scoring 10 of their 11 runs in the first three innings of the game.
After a single to left field started the bottom of the first inning, mental mistakes from the Golden Eagle defense allowed one run to cross the plate putting Pitt-Johnstown ahead 1-0 early.
Clarion answered with a run of their own in the top of the third to tie the game at one a piece after Daren Byers led the inning off with an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch to put one Golden Eagle in scoring position.
Byers advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored an unearned run after a second passed ball bounced away from the Mountain Cat catcher evening the score at 1-1, but that's all the closer the boys in blue would get.
Pitt-Johnstown exploded for nine runs on five hits and one error, making the score 10-1 and putting Clarion on their heels the rest of the contest.
It wasn't until the top of the seventh inning when the Clarion offense came alive, scoring four runs on three hits and one error but the four run inning wasn't enough to claw back from the nine run deficit.
Nick Fugh led the inning off with a double to left field and after a Lenny Piccini walk and an error that allowed Scott McManamon to reach base, Fugh scored from second chipping away at the Mountain Cat lead making the score 11-2.
Matt Privette was hit by a pitch to load the bases and a single from Byers scored two more making the score 11-4 and putting Clarion on the attack.
Will Constantin pushed one more run across the plate after he reached on a fielder's choice but after an Alex Ficorilli single and a Thomas Lavin walk, Constantin was thrown out at home trying to advance on a passed ball ending the threat and the game for Clarion.
In game two it was Clarion that jumped out the early lead, pushing two runs across in the first inning taking an early 2-0 lead.
Kasey Shughart led the game off with a single through the left side and advanced to third on a double from Ficorilli that one hopped the left centerfield fence. After a Lavin flyout to right and a Fugh ground out, Shughart and Ficorilli were able to work their ways around the bases giving the blue and gold the advantage.
The lead was short lived though as Pitt-Johnstown answered immediately in the bottom of the first with a three spot making the score 3-2 in favor of the home team.
A back and forth battle, Clarion regained the lead in the top of third inning, scoring one run on two hits and one error to take the lead 4-3.
Pitt-Johnstown tied the game in the bottom of the third and took the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring two runs on two hits and heads up baserunning.
With the score stagnant at 5-4 Clarion looked to generate offense with the heart of their lineup coming to the plate and that's exactly what Head Coach Doc Neiman received. With two out and a runner waiting just 90 feet away, Fugh sent a two run shot over the towering left field fence putting Clarion back on top 6-5.
Just like they did in almost every other inning, Pitt-Johnstown answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth taking back the lead 7-5 with just one more at bat remaining for the blue and gold.
Once again Clarion answered the call, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh putting UPJ on the ropes but in the bottom of the seventh the Mountain Cats came out swinging, scoring two runs on four hits and ultimately giving the Mountain Cats the game with a final score of 9-8.
Clarion will look to tie the series tomorrow afternoon when they make a return to Point Stadium to close out the series against the Mountain Cats. First pitch is slated for 1 pm.
