CARY, N.C. --- The Golden Eagle baseball team was engaged in yet another close contest on neutral ground on Friday night, but Clarion was unable to come up with the tight decision in falling 5-4 to Dominican (N.Y.) in a nine-inning game.
 
After a flurry of offense in the first five innings, both sides settled down late in the game, combining for three scoreless frames. The difference came in the top of the ninth inning, when the Chargers were able to scratch across the go-ahead run. Dominican reliever Matthew Sabene set down the Golden Eagles in order in the bottom of the ninth for his first save of the year.
 
Scott McManamon went 1-of-4 with his second home run of the year, bashing a three-run shot in the bottom of the third inning to put Clarion ahead by a 4-3 score. Daren Byers added an RBI single and Caden Contant went 2-for-4 at the dish.
 
Starter Reilly Shafer survived a rocky start to the game, giving up three combined runs to the Chargers in the second and third innings but settling from there. Lefty Ryan Gallagher provided 2.1 innings of one-hit shutout relief, while Joe Rossi took the hard-luck loss after giving up a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning.
 
Clarion trailed 3-0 after two-and-a-half innings but got on the board for a four-spot in the bottom of the third inning. Sam Economy drew a hit-by-pitch and stole second, eventually coming around to score on Byers' line drive to center field with two outs. After Mason Kepler drew a walk, McManamon took the first pitch of his at-bat to deep left field, scoring three runs to give the Golden Eagles a 4-3 lead.
 
The Chargers did not respond until the top of the fifth inning, with Benjamin Avila's fielder's choice scoring Alexander Reyes to knot things up. The relievers for both sides took over the game from there, putting up zeroes until the top of the ninth inning. The first three Dominican batters of the ninth reached base, with Avila hitting a sac fly to left field to score Davin Kaddell-Tuckey. Sabene posted a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame to secure the win.
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