GREENSBURG, Pa. - The Clarion baseball team concluded their four game series against the Seton Hill Griffins, Sunday afternoon, splitting with the #25 team in the country, dropping the first game 7-2 and picking up a win in the second game 4-3. The Golden Eagles (8-20) will travel to Wheeling, West Virginia on Tuesday, April 12, to take on Wheeling in a single nine inning non conference game.Â
Game 1: Seton Hill 7, Clarion 2
Recap: Seton Hill plated seven runs on eight hits and one Clarion error, picking up the 7-2 win over Clarion and starting pitcher
Logan Schlegel.Â
Seton Hill took the lead in the top of the third inning scoring three runs courtesy of a single and a two run homerun as the Griffins took a commanding 3-0 lead early on. Clarion answered with one run in the bottom of the third inning to pull back within two runs, making 3-1.Â
Sam Economy started the inning off with a walk and advanced to second base after a sac bunt from
Griffin Snyder putting one runner in scoring position for the Blue and Gold.
Matt Privette singled to center field driving in Economy from second base as Clarion was rolling in the inning.Â
Clarion held the Griffins off the scoreboard for the next inning, not allowing a hit to the red hot Griffin attack, but in the top of the fifth inning, Seton Hill added one run on three hits and the lone Clarion error, making the score 4-1.Â
A second homerun from Jack Oberdorf in the top of the sixth inning to right center field made the score 6-1, and in the top of the seventh plated one run after a pair of walks and a groundout from the Griffins.Â
Tim Irons was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the seventh and advanced to second base after a
Lenny Piccini walk. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases after Economy walked in the very next at bat, threatening to cut into the Seton Hill lead.Â
Privette proved clutch again for Clarion, knocking a single to left field, driving in Irons from third base to make the score 7-2.
Schlegel got the nod for Clarion on the mound for head coach
Doc Neiman, tossing 4.0 innings allowing four runs on five hits, while
Isaac Kleinfelter added 3.0 innings in relief surrendering three runs on three hits.Â
Privette paced the Clarion attack going three for four on the afternoon in the leadoff spot, driving in both Golden Eagle runs.Â
Game 2: Clarion 4, Seton Hill 3
Recap: The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, after
Daren Byers groundout to the shortstop, driving in
Kasey Shughart who walked to leadoff the inning.Â
Holding a lead and limiting the Griffins to just one hit through the first three and a half innings of play. The Golden Eagles scored one more run in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 2-0 after two hits allowed Clarion to take command in the late bout.
Caden Contant singled up the middle to start the inning and advanced to second base after Byers singled to center in the next at bat.Â
Mason Kepler drove in Contant from third after a
Danny Fox sac bunt moved the runners up 90 feet as Clarion jumped ahead 2-0.Â
Seton Hill cut the lead in half in the top of fifth after a homerun to left field put the Griffins on the scoreboard. Using the long ball Seton Hill tied the game in the top of the sixth inning making the score 2-2.Â
Clarion answered in the bottom of the sixth inning with two runs on two hits using a triple from Contant a fielding error by the Griffin catcher, and a
Nate Petke single to right field score to score both runs. Petke's single scored Byers as Clarion took command in the late half of the game and never looked back.Â
Seton Hill tried to threaten the Clarion lead in the top of the seventh, but
Joe Rossi slammed the door on any comeback attempt limiting the Griffins to just one run on two hits as Clarion picked up the win and the series split.Â
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