PEMBROKE, N.C. - The Clarion baseball team continued their weekend stint in Pembroke North Carolina Saturday afternoon, falling to the hosting Braves 20-1 in a single nin inning game. Clarion (0-8) will close out their weekend series with UNC Pembroke tomorrow when they conclude the series with another single nine inning game. 

UNC Pembroke 20, Clarion 1 
Recap: The Braves picked up right where they left off yesterday, jumping on the Clarion pitching staff early and often. Pembroke scored in every inning except the first frame, racking up 20 runs on 21 hits and four Clarion errors. The Braves pitching staff left the Golden Eagles off balance all afternoon, surrendering just four total hits in the ballgame and zero errors. 

Clarion scored their lone run in the top of the fourth inning to make the score just 3-1. Shortstop Scott McManamon picked a first pitch belt high fastball to start the inning off, sending a laser over the center field fence, and as the underclassmen middle infielder touched them all Clarion was primed to claw back into the ballgame. 

UNC Pembroke starter Branden Kunz slammed the door on any further scoring chances for the Blue and Gold though, retiring the next three Clarion batters in order to get out of the top of the fourth inning relatively unscathed. 

Clarion remained without a baserunner until the top of the eighth inning when Brett Pitzer drew a 3-2 walk and  Sam Economy legged out an infield single, but the Golden Eagles were unable to push a run across the plate. 

The Golden Eagles had their best scoring opportunity of the afternoon in the top of the ninth inning, when freshman Caden Contant singled to the hot corner, and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but after a pair of ground outs, the Braves ended the game with the final victory. 

McManamon paced the Clarion attack, going 2 for 4 at the plate with a double, a solo homer and one RBI, while Contant and Economy each picked up hits for the Blue and Gold. 

Six pitchers logged action on the mound for head coach Doc Neiman, tallying 11 strikeouts and just four walks as a staff on the afternoon. 






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