WHEELING, WV - The Clarion baseball team traveled to Wheeling, West Virginia on Wednesday, defeating the Cardinals in a single nine inning game, 12-9. Clarion will have a quick turn around, taking on Gannon for a four game series on April 15 and 16.
Clarion 12, Wheeling 9
Recap: The Golden Eagles scored 12 runs on 11 hits and three Wheeling errors scoring multiple runs in four of the nine innings.
Kasey Shughart started things early for Clarion, belting a homerun on the very first at bat of the game, giving the Golden Eagles an early 1-0 lead.
Matt Privette scored on a wild pitch to give the Blue and Gold a quick 2-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the top of the second inning after the Cardinals managed to score two runs of their own in the bottom half of the first frame.
Privette singles to center field and drive in Tyler Meachum who singled earlier in the inning, and added two more runs after a bases loaded walk and a wild pitch.
After blanking the Cardinals in the bottom of the second inning Clarion added three more runs in the top of the third to grab a commanding 8-2 lead, but Wheeling battled back scoring five runs in the bottom of the third inning to pull back within one run, 8-7.
The Golden Eagles held an 8-7 lead all the way until the top of the eighth inning, plating four runs on three hits and an error.
Another Privette single to center field drove in Sam Economy, his fourth RBI of the afternoon to get things rolling for Clarion in the eighth.
Tim Irons followed that up with an infield single to score Privette from third to make the score 10-7, but Clarion wasn't done yet as Mason Kepler drove in two more runs with single down the right field line.
Wheeling threatened the Clarion lead scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but that's all the closer they would get, as the Golden Eagle pitching staff slammed the door on any comeback effort.
Reilly Shafer picked up the win for Clarion tossing 2.2 inning of action l, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out two Cardinal batters.
Privette paced the Clarion attack, going 3 four 5 at the plate with four runs batted in.
