INDIANA, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle softball team lost a pair of late-inning contests on Tuesday, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to IUP in PSAC West competition. The Crimson Hawks won 4-3 in extra innings in the first game and came back from a late deficit to win 9-5 in the second.
 
IUP 4, Clarion 3 (8 inn.)
Recap: The first game of the day saw Clarion rebound from a 3-1 deficit in the sixth inning to send the game to extra innings, but the Golden Eagles could not push a go-ahead run across despite a handful of opportunities. IUP scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-1 lead, with Clarion's lone run to that point coming on Carissa Giordano's solo home run to left field in the top of the inning.
 
Emily Buchleitner led off the top of the sixth with an infield single, and Tori Martrano followed up with a single of her own. Buchleitner was caught stealing to partly stymie the rally, but Annika Smith hit a single to center field and Allison Gilliam drove an RBI double to right field that scored pinch runner Lauren Hartman and made it 3-2. Amber Gilliam followed up with a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing Smith home, but Allison Gilliam was thrown out attempting to advance to third and ended the inning.
 
A key defensive play in the bottom of the seventh helped send the game to extra innings, with Amber Gilliam throwing home to Billie Aguglia to stop Sara Tailford from scoring the game-winning run. That preserved the tie for the Golden Eagles, who put runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Buchleitner and Martrano were stranded in scoring position as Bella Bucy got two outs to end the inning. Delaney Patella ended the game in the bottom of the eighth, hitting a leadoff home run to walk it off.
 
Starting pitcher Emma Hipps finished with a no-decision after allowing three runs in 4.0 innings pitched. Angelina Pepe entered in relief, allowing just the home run to Patella in extra innings. Giordano and Buchleitner each finished with two hits.
 
IUP 9, Clarion 5
Recap: The second game of the doubleheader featured a few big momentum swings, as both teams rode big innings to take the lead from the other over the course of the game. Clarion had the early lead after a groundout by Buchleitner allowed Giordano to score, with the latter stealing home to put her team ahead 1-0. The Crimson Hawks responded with three runs in the second inning, though Alyssa Stitt cut into that lead with an RBI double in the third inning that scored Giordano.
 
Stitt struck again in the fourth inning, this time sparking a three-run inning for the Golden Eagles that briefly put them ahead 5-4. Kathryn O'Horo and Giordano each reached base with two outs, and Stitt scored the former with a single to left field that was misplayed by Megan Grill. Buchleitner smacked a two-run single to center field, scoring Giordano and Stitt to give Clarion a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
That lead held up until the fifth inning, when the Crimson Hawks touched up Megan Anderson for four runs on three hits. Clarion put a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh inning, with Buchleitner leading off the inning with a double and Martrano following with a single, but Bucy – returning for the second game of the day --- retired the next three Golden Eagles for the win.
 
Buchleitner finished the second game 3-of-4 at the dish with three RBIs, while Stitt went 2-of-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Kendyl Switzer entered in relief in the sixth inning, allowing one run on two hits.
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