SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Clarion baseball team opened up conference play for the 2022 season, playing host to Mercyhurst for a double header, at Slippery Rock's Jack Critchfield Park, splitting the opening series taking game one by a final score of 4-1 and dropping game two by a deficit of 10-2. Clarion (4-12) will head to Erie on Friday to complete the series against the Lakers.
Game 1: Clarion 4, Mercyhurst 1
Recap: It was a good old fashioned pitcher's dual as both
Bryce Grenet and Daniel Thomas were dialed in from the opening pitch. Grenet tossed a complete game gem, going the distance with 7.0 innings pitched, allowing just one run on three hits, while keeping the Lakers off balance all afternoon, fanning nine Mercyhurst batters. Grenet managed to allow just three walks all game and one hit by pitch.
Clarion jumped out to an early 2-0 lead to start things off in the bottom of the third inning, after an error in the second inning allowed Dan Fox to score and
Scott McManamon's fourth homerun of the season put the Golden Eagles in the drivers seat to start the game. Mercyhurst pulled back within one run in the top of the fourth inning after a Chris Juchno homerun made the score 2-1.
The Golden Eagles answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth after a sacfly from freshman third baseman Caden Content scored
Matt Privette who walked to lead off the inning.McManamon singled up the middle to score
Kasey Shughart who singled to left field earlier in the inning as Clarion controlled the game and the momentum.
With the score 4-1, Grenet toed the rubber and shut down the Mercyhurst attack, surrendering zero hits throughout the rest of the game.
Shugart paced the Clarion attack going 3 for 4 at the plate, while McManamon went 2 for 4 with two RBI's. Contant and Fox added the other runs for Clarion.
Game 2: Mercyhurst 10, Clarion 2
Recap: The Lakers jumper on Clarion early scoring 10 runs on 10 hits and one Golden Eagle error, scoring four runs in the first inning, one run in the fourth, four more runs in the fifth and one insurance run in the sixth inning.
The Blue and Gold mananged to answer with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to cut the Mercyhurst lead to eight but Clarion couldn't get any closer.
The Golden Eagles scored two runs in the seventh after
Sam Economy walked to start the innning and
Brett Pitzer added a walk of his own in the next at bat. Both runners advanced the next base after a passed ball. After a groundout from
Griffin Snyder scored Economy to plate Clarion's first run, Pitzer scored after a passed ball got to the backstop.
Trevor McGee got the start for Clarion, tossing 3.2 innings allowing five runs on four hits adding five strikeouts and five walks.
