MILLERSVILLE, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle baseball team went on the road and gave a nationally-ranked team everything they could handle, but Clarion came up just inches short in falling 4-3 to No. 16/17 Millersville at Cooper Park.  

It was a nip-and-tuck battle between the Golden Eagles and the Marauders, with Clarion pushing back from a 4-1 deficit. Trailing by three runs in the top of the eighth inning, Lenny Piccini reached on a walk and made his way around the bases on a balk and a wild pitch. Sam Felner brought him home with a single up the middle, rapping a base hit to cut it to 4-2.  

The Marauders got out of that jam, but Clarion pushed back again in the top of the ninth, very nearly tying the game. With two outs in the frame, Scott McManamon reached after a throwing error at second base, followed by a walk from Daren Byers. Piccini was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Felner drew a free pass to tie the game at 4-3. 

The critical play came with Brett Pitzer at the plate. A wild pitch from Harry Prince opened the door for Byers to score, but the Marauders applied the tag for the win. 

The ninth-inning play at the plate wasn't Clarion's only close call of the game. In the first, Caden Contant tagged up and ran home on a fly ball to left but was called out for leaving the base early. In the seventh, with two runners on base, Clarion's hitter dribbled a ball in front of the plate, and the catcher's throw to first hit the runner and ricocheted into foul territory, but the batter was called out for running in fair territory and interfering with the play.   

Anthony Tucci took the hard-luck loss on the mound, throwing five innings and allowing just two runs. Ryan Gallagher threw two innings of relief and allowed two runs – one earned – and Griffin Snyder worked a scoreless eighth. 

McManamon went 2-of-4 at the plate with a run score, while Felner was credited as 1-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs.