BUTLER, Pa - After nearly two weeks without playing a game due to inclement weather in surrounding areas, the Clarion baseball team traveled to Historic Pullman Park in Butler, Pa. to take on Penn State Greater Allegheny in a non conference double header.
After playing through the wind and rain, the Golden Eagles picked up a win game one 11-3, but dropped game two by a final score of 5-3. Clarion (2-11) will look to bounce back quickly, as they travel to Fairmont, WV to take on Fairmont State on March 22 for a single nine inning game.
Game 1: Clarion 11, PSUGA 3
Recap: Clarion scored 11 runs on eight hits and six Penn State errors to take game one. The Golden Eagles started the game quickly taking the lead, picking up their first run in the top of the first inning when
Lenny Piccini reached on a fielder's choice, driving in
Caden Contant who singled earlier in the inning. Clarion threatened to tack on supporting runs in the inning but after a groundout, Clarion left two potential runs on base heading into the bottom of the first inning.
After a leadoff walk and a stolen base put a runner on second for Greater Allegheny another walk and a past ball allowed Penn State to tie the game scoring one run on no hits to make the score 1-1.
Clarion took the lead for good in the top of the second inning and never looked back, scoring three runs on two hits and one error to push the deficit to 4-1.
Griffin Snyder walked and stole second base, while
Sam Economy followed that up with a walk of his own to put runners on first and second for Clarion. Contant singled to left field and advanced to second base after an errant fielding mistake by Penn State Greater Allegheny, allowing Snyder to make his way around the base paths to make the score 2-1. In the very next at bat,
Scott McManamon found some grass in the outfield, singling and driving in both Contant and Economy as Clarion took a commanding 4-1 lead.
Scoring three more insurance runs in the top of the third inning, Clarion made the score 7-1 as the lead grew out of reach of the Lions. Piccini started the inning reaching base safely on an error by the GA short stop, while
Matt Privette singled in the next at bat to put runners on first and second once again for the Golden Eagles. Snyder walked to load the bases for Clarion, and after Economy reached safely with a walk of his own, Clarion tallied two more runs courtesy of walks as Contant and McMananmon both reached base in the inning and picked up RBI's.
Trailing 7-1, Penn State plated two runs on two hits in the bottom of the third to make the score 7-3, but Clarion still remained in control heading into the fourth frame.
Dan Fox walked in the top of the fourth inning to get things started for Clarion and after back to back walks the Golden Eagles loaded the bases with two outs, and after a failed pick off attempt both
Kasey Shughart and Fox scored to push Clarion's lead to 9-3.
The Golden Eagles kept Penn State's offense under raps for the rest of the game and added two more runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach for good. Contant singled and scored Snyder who walked to start the inning and after a
Daren Byers double McManamon scored to give Clarion their 11th run of the ballgame.
Reilly Shafer got the start for Clarion on the mound, tossing 5.0 innings of action, picking up six strikeouts while allowing just three runs on three hits.
Game 2: PSUGA 5, Clarion 3
Recap: Clarion allowed five runs on nine hits, while scoring three runs on eight hits and one error in game two as the Lions picked up the victory.
The score remained deadlocked at zero until the top of the third inning, when McMananmon sent a shot over the fence driving in Snyder, making the score 2-0 early on. Penn State took the lead back in the very next frame, adding a homerun of their own, this one being a three run shot, as Clarion found themselves trailing 3-2 halfway through game two .
Clarion plated one more run in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3 after McManamon drove in another run with the bases loaded, but Penn State scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead 5-3.
Clarion was unable to string together anything in the last two innings as Greater Allegheny came away with the victory.
