WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The matches were split down the middle for the duration of the dual, but a win by fall from American's Liam Volk-Klos gave the Eagles a late four-point lead that Clarion could not erase, as the Golden Eagles lost by a 19-18 score on Sunday.
 
All told the Eagles netted one bonus point on Clarion, with that extra point making the difference in the match. Each side picked up a win by fall, but American also added a major decision while the Golden Eagles' four remaining victories were all by decision.
 
American led 13-6 after the 165-pound bout, winning four of the first six matches. Five of those six matches were decided by three points or less, including a sudden victory decision for Jack Nies over Alejandro Herrera-Rondon at 157 pounds and a slim 4-3 decision for Coen Bainey over Weston Pisarchick at 125. The Golden Eagles' wins came in the middle of that sandwich, with Gianni Silvestri coming up with a hard-fought 7-5 decision over Cael McIntyre at 141 pounds. Kyle Schickel followed with a win over Gage Owen at 149 pounds, taking his opponent down early and holding on for the 5-3 win.
 
That 13-6 deficit took a major hit in the 174-pound bout, though, with John Worthing pinning Caleb Campos at the end of a flurry of near fall points. Campos nearly got the better of Worthing early in the match, almost getting him to his back before Worthing fought it off. Worthing turned the tables on Campos, taking him down and getting him into a half nelson. He worked him for two four-point near falls before finally flattening him with 16 seconds left on the first period clock, cutting the gap to 13-12.
 
Adrian Gacek kept that momentum going, earning an impressive decision at 184 pounds over Lucas White. White proved to be a difficult nut to crack when wrestling on the mat, but Gacek was able to take him down early and eventually built up a 6-3 win.
 
The Eagles struck a big blow to Clarion in the 197-pound match, with Volk-Klos pinning Connor Jacobs with just one second remaining in the second period to add six points to their tally and make it 19-15. Austin Chapman won a low-scoring bout with William Jarrell - the 25th-ranked heavyweight in the nation according to InterMat - by scoring the only takedown of the match for a 4-2 decision, but it was not enough to push the Golden Eagles into a tie.
 
American 19, Clarion 18
125: Coen Bainey (AU) def. Weston Pisarchick (Clarion) Dec. 4-3
133: Shamil Kalmatov (AU) def. Mason Prinkey (Clarion) Dec. 9-6
141: Gianni Silvestri (Clarion) def. Cael McIntyre (AU) Dec. 7-5
149: Kyle Schickel (Clarion) def. Gage Owen (AU) Dec. 5-3
157: Jack Nies (AU) def. Alejandro Herrera-Rondon (Clarion) SV-1 7-4
165: Kaden Milheim (AU) def. John Altieri (Clarion) MD 13-1
174: John Worthing (Clarion) def. Caleb Campos (AU) Fall 2:44
184: Adrian Gacek (Clarion) def. Lucas White (AU) Dec. 6-3
197: Liam Volk-Klos (AU) def. Connor Jacobs (Clarion) Fall 4:59
285: Austin Chapman (Clarion) def. William Jarrell (AU) Dec. 4-2