ERIE, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle softball team rebounded from a loss in the first game of a doubleheader to pick up a road win in the nightcap, as Clarion split a twinbill at Gannon on Thursday. The Golden Knights won the first game by a 10-6 score but the Golden Eagles responded with a 5-2 win in the late game.
 
With the win in the late game, Clarion has won 17 games on the year. That is the most wins by  the Golden Eagle squad dating back to at least the 1993 season.
 
Gannon 10, Clarion 6
Recap: After Emma Hipps allowed two early runs to the Golden Knights in the bottom of the second inning, it appeared the Golden Eagles might be ready to put it on their hosts in the third and fourth innings. Much of it came with good approaches at the plate, as walks and errant pitches told the tale. In the top of the third, three consecutive Golden Eagles were hit by pitches to lead off the inning; after a pair of force outs at home plate the bases were still loaded, and Emily Buchleitner drew a walk to put her team on the scoreboard. Alyssa Stitt evened things up Maggie Lenda threw a wild pitch, allowing the former to score from third.
 
Clarion made it a 5-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning, starting with an infield single by Carissa Giordano that led to her reaching second on a throwing error. That play allowed Allison Gilliam to score and Stitt did the rest, driving a double to deep center field to score Smith and Giordano.
 
Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles Gannon exploded for a huge outburst in the home half of the inning, scoring eight runs off Hipps and Kendyl Switzer to build up a 10-5 lead. Amber Gilliam drove in a run in the sixth inning to cut it to 10-6, but the Golden Eagles left the bases loaded in the seventh as Giordano struck out to end the game.
                                                              
Clarion 5, Gannon 2
Recap: The Golden Knights scored twice in the bottom of the first inning to once again take an early lead, but this time when Clarion took the lead they made the advantage hold up. Rachel Helsley and Tori Martrano led off the top of the fourth inning with walks and Amber Gilliam started the action, drilling a single through the middle of the infield to score Helsley and make it 2-1.
 
Gannon's Josie Spano retired Allison Gilliam to get to two outs in the inning, but Brooke McCanna came through in the clutch with a big hit to put her team ahead. The senior catcher pushed a single through the right side of the infield, driving Amber Gilliam and Martrano home to put the Golden Eagles ahead 3-2.
 
Helsley had a huge individual effort in the fifth inning to add some insurance. Buchleitner reached on a fielder's choice to put two outs on the board, and Helsley smashed a triple down the right-field line to score her and make it 4-2. She scored on a wild pitch in the very next at-bat, giving Clarion a three-run lead.
 
Starting pitcher Megan Anderson finished off the win, taking that 5-2 lead and making it stick. The senior was dynamite down the stretch, retiring the final 14 Golden Knight batters of the game to preserve the lead. After giving up two runs in the bottom of the second inning Anderson allowed just one baserunner the rest of the way, a single by Spano with one out in the third inning. She snuffed that in the third inning, inducing a pop-up and striking out a batter to end the inning.
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