CLERMONT, Fla. --- The Golden Eagles softball team kicked off their week at THE Spring Games in Florida with a doubleheader split on Saturday, beating West Virginia Wesleyan 8-0 in six innings before falling 4-2 to Davenport in the late game. Clarion improves to 4-2 overall.Â
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Clarion 8, West Virginia Wesleyan 0 (6 inn.)Â
RECAP: The Golden Eagles took advantage of the wildness of Bobcats pitchers in the opening game, working their opponents for seven walks while also benefitting from three wild pitches. The majority of that damage came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Golden Eagles piled on six runs to walk off the game via the eight-run rule.Â
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That patience at the plate first made its mark in the bottom of the second inning. The game was still scoreless when the Golden Eagles drew four straight walks, going from Annika Smith through Alexis Valencia on the lineup card to take a 1-0 lead. Jordy Best tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring
Emma Hipps to make it 2-0.Â
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Hipps, for her part, saw to it that the Golden Eagles didn't need any more runs than that. The junior starter earned her first complete game shutout of the season and the fifth of her career, limiting the Bobcats to four hits while striking out three and walking none. The only jam of the game came in the top of the fifth inning when Kendall Stoffel led off with a double. An error put runners on first and second, and eventually a hit batsmen loaded the bases for the Bobcats with two outs. Alyssa Rohr hit a grounder to third baseman
Delanie Davison, who threw home for the force out to end the inning.Â
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Clarion closed the game out in the bottom of the sixh inning, scoring six runs on four hits and four errors by the Bobcats. Desi Allen hit a single to right center field to score Malina Serrano from third after the latter advanced two bases on wild pitches, and Smith lifted a fly ball to deep center field for a sac fly and a 5-0 lead. A two-run throwing error by Ashlyn McAdow allowed Valencia and Hipps to score later in the inning, and
Haylie Rimmey hit a walkoff RBI single to plate
Jordy Best.Â
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Davenport 4, Clarion 2Â
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RECAP: Clarion had command of the action against the Panthers early in the game, with pitcher
Ainsley Perdicaris keeping the opponent off guard and off the scoreboard for the first five innings. Perdicaris was perfect through 3.2 innings, with the Panthers' lone baserunner coming by error in the bottom of the fourth inning, and she did not surrender a hit until Madison Cole's leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth inning.Â
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The Golden Eagles drew first blood, scoring in the top of the first inning. Best reached on a one-out single and eventually came around on an RBI single from Allen. That was the only hit for either team until the top of the fourth inning, when Allen again singled to lead off the frame. Davison sacrificed her over with a bunt and
Brooke Dobson smacked an RBI single to right field with two outs, bringing Allen all the way around to make it 2-0.Â
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Clarion had a chance to add on in the sixth inning after Rimmey singled to lead off and Davison drew a one-out walk. Smith laid down a perfect bunt on the first base side and beat the throw to load the bases with one out, but Dobson and
Kathryn O'Horo both flew out to end the threat. The Panthers strung together a handful of hits and finally got on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly; Savanna Disbrow hit a two-run double to put her team ahead, and Darby Kramp lifted a sac fly to left to make it 4-2.Â
