CARY, N.C. --- Mason Kepler drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning and Joe Rossi threw a scoreless ninth for the save, completing a late-inning comeback over Mansfield as the Golden Eagles beat the Mountaineers by an 8-7 score.
 
The teams traded leads numerous times over the course of the game, though the bulk of Mansfield's offense came in one big inning. Starter Anthony Tucci allowed four runs in the bottom of the second inning but put up three zeroes otherwise, and the bullpen trio of Logan Schlegel, Griffin Snyder and Rossi combined for five innings of two-run ball.
 
The Mountaineers took a 7-6 lead with two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning after an error kept the frame alive. The Golden Eagles managed to get the equalizer in the next half-inning, evening things up thanks to a bout of wildness by pitcher Jacob Houtz. Connor Booth extended the inning with a two-out walk, and Alfredo Hurtado drew one in the next plate appearance to put runners on first and second. Houtz proceeded to throw a wild pitch and walk the next two batters as well, pushing Booth across the plate.
 
Snyder threw a scoreless eighth to keep things tied, setting the stage for Clarion to take the lead in the ninth. Daren Byers led off the inning with a single to right field and was able to advance to second after Joseph Gleason failed pickoff attempt sailed out of play. Kepler drove a pitch to center field that scored Byers from second, giving the Golden Eagles an 8-7 lead. The Golden Eagles were not able to add an insurance run but Rossi made that a moot point, striking out the first two betters of the inning and inducing a flyout by Ryan Verbonitz for the save.
 
Kepler finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBIs, as he also recorded a two-run single in the top of the first inning to bring Scott McManamon and Caden Contant home. Kepler scored Contant again in the third inning, hitting an RBI single to cut Mansfield's lead to 4-3.
 
Contant went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, three runs scored and two walks, one of which was the game-tying RBI in the eighth. He plated Nate Peke in the top of the fourth inning, part of a two-run frame for the Golden Eagles that also included a sacrifice fly by Tyler Meachum. With his performance on Sunday Contant is now 12-of-23 (.522) at the plate through seven games.
 
Byers went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
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