CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles baseball team had a chance to take a pair of games against last year's national runner-up, but Clarion was unable to finish off IUP in falling in a pair of games to the Crimson Hawks on Sunday. IUP won the first game 4-3 and the second 6-4, taking late leads in both.
 
Game 1: IUP 4, Clarion 3
RECAP: Both teams matched zeroes in the first three innings of the opening game, with Reilly Shafer and Jake Black keeping their opposing lineups off balance. The Crimson Hawks struck first when Davin Landers hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning, driving a pitch over the fence with one out in the inning.
 
The Golden Eagles popped off for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, taking the lead for the first time in the game. Ethan McNally and Tyson Gill strung together back-to-back singles and Griffin Snyder brought the duo home, smacking a double to center field to clear the bases. Randy Carlo returned the favor with an opposite field double to right field, making it 3-1.
 
Landers pulled IUP to within 3-2 with an RBI single in the sixth inning, and a pair of errors in the top of the seventh allowed the Crimson Hawks to take a 4-3 lead. The Golden Eagles had the tying runner aboard in the bottom of the seventh after Carlo's one-out single up the middle, but Ethan Giangiulio and Connor Booth were both retired to end the game.
 
Game 2: IUP 6, Clarion 4
RECAP:  Similar to the first game, the Golden Eagles took the lead midway through the game, but the Crimson Hawks rallied to regain the advantage and hold on for the win. This time It was Giangiulio who put Clarion ahead, with the sophomore hitting a two-out two-run single to left field to score Gill and Snyder to make it 2-1.
 
The Crimson Hawks tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth on Robert Carfagno's RBI single, but Clarion took the lead back in the home half of the inning. Brody Hinkle and Caden Contant drew walks to lead off the inning and Jack Hurda brought them both home with a two-run single, making it 4-2.
 
The Crimson Hawks rallied for four runs in the top of the seventh, with Carfagno breaking a 4-4 tie with a two-run double to left field. Clarion put the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh after Tyson Gill drew a leadoff walk, but Nick Rispoli held the lead to earn the save and the team win.
  Read Full Article