ERIE, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle baseball team resumed action after a week of weather-related postponements, falling in both end of a doubleheader to PSAC West rival Mercyhurst on Sunday. Clarion lost by a 6-0 score in the first game, followed by a 4-3 extra innings loss in the late game.
 
Mercyhurst 6, Clarion 0
Recap: The Lakers controlled the first game thanks largely to the work of pitcher Jarrett Heilman, who limited the Golden Eagles to just a handful baserunners in a brisk outing. Clarion's best opportunity to score came in the top of the third inning, after Sam Economy was hit by a pitch to reach first base. Kasey Shughart lined a single into right field to put runners on first and second, but Caden Contant grounded out to second base to end the threat.
 
Mercyhurst, meanwhile, enjoyed a four-run second inning to take the lead. Luke Jackson hit a two-run home run to put the Lakers on the board, and Ryan Hill and Eric Chorba drove in a run apiece to increase the lead to 4-0.
 
Heilman worked his way through the remaining innings, not allowing another Golden Eagle baserunner until he walked Mason Kepler with one out in the seventh inning. Daren Byers advanced him to second with a groundout, but Lenny Piccini struck out to end the game.
 
Michael Proios started the game on the mound, allowing five runs in four innings of action. Ryan Gallagher threw two innings of relief, allowing one run.
 
Mercyhurst 4, Clarion 3 (8 inn.)
Recap: Starting pitcher Sam Rice enjoyed an effective outing in the nightcap game, limiting the Lakers to just two runs in the third inning to keep his team in the contest. The senior gave up eight hits but walked just one batter, and was able to ground the powerful Mercyhurst offense.
 
Trailing 2-0 entering the sixth inning, the Golden Eagles tied things up thanks to clutch two-out hitting. Byers reached on an infield single with two outs, and Scott McManamon pulled a liner into left field to put two runners aboard. Contant cut the lead in half by driving a single into center field, scoring Byers from second, and Mason Kepler plated McManamon with a two-out single to center of his own.
 
Rice kept the Lakers off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings, and was the beneficiary of an outstanding throw from Shughart to nab runner Ryan Perretti at third base for the second out of the seventh inning. That sent the game to extras, where the Golden Eagles struck first. McManamon led off the inning with a double to deep left field, and eventually came around to score on Contant's RBI single to left field. The latter stole a base and eventually reached third base, but the Lakers kept him 90 feet from home plate to maintain the one-run deficit. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Vincent Stutz and Chris Juchno reached by virtue of a hit by pitch and an error, respectively, putting Mercyhurst in position to score. Stutz eventually scored on a passed ball and Zachary Kourous scored Juchno on a sacrifice fly, giving the Lakers a walkoff win.
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