CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles ran their win streak up to five games on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping a doubleheader against Penn State – New Kensington at Memorial Stadium. Clarion took the first game 11-1 in six innings and walked off the second game with a run on a throwing error to make it 4-3.
Game 1: Clarion 11, Penn State – New Kensington 1
RECAP: Three big innings defined the first win of the day, as the Golden Eagles put up four runs apiece in the second and fourth innings to build the lead. In the second inning,
Ethan McNally hit a two-out double to deep center field to score
Brody Hinkle and later scored on on a mental lapse by the Nittany Lions, rounding third and taking home without a throw from first base on
Griffin Snyder's infield single.
Tyson Gill hit a two-run single to center field to drive in a pair and make it 4-0.
Clarion tacked onto the lead in the fourth inning when
Randy Carlo launched his team-leading fifth home run of the season over the fence in left field. The three-run shot scored Gill and
Ethan Giangiulio to bump the lead to 7-0, and Hinkle scored
Cole Yeager with an RBI single later in the inning.
The Golden Eagles scored three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to finishing off the game.
Tyler Boraski smacked a two-run single to left field to make it 11-1, and
Caden Contant wrapped things up in the next plate appearance. Contant stole third base and the catcher's throw missed the mark on the caught stealing attempt, allowing Contant to coast into home plate for the run.
A trio of Clarion pitchers took the mound in the first game, limiting the Nittany Lions to three hits and one run.
David DuBray picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief, striking out four and walking one.
Game 2: Clarion 4, Penn State – New Kensington 3
RECAP: Clarion needed to rally in the second game of the day, scoring twice in the fifth inning to tie the game at 3-3 and eventually winning on an error in the bottom of the seventh to walk it off.
Trailing by a pair in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Golden Eagles evened the game up thanks to a handful of miscues by the Nittany Lions.
Jaxson Wood walked to lead off and then made his way to third base after an errant pickoff attempt. With
Tyson Gill still at the plate, Wood scored on a passed ball to cut it to 3-2. Gill reached on a walk and stole second and third base, and in the course of the latter scored after a throwing error by the catcher.
An almost identical play gave the Golden Eagles the win in the seventh inning. Carlo drew a leadoff walk and stole second base, but back-to-back strikeouts threatened to strand him on the basepaths. Just as in the fifth, though, Carlo swiped third base and the throw down the line was off the mark, allowing him to score.
The bullpen game saw Clarion send four pitchers to the mound, with each of the first three –
Jack Edner,
Ryan Hons and
Aiden Hartle – responsible for one run apiece.
Cole Yeager earned the win with a scoreless inning in the top of the seventh.
