INDIANA, Pa. — The Clarion baseball team faced IUP in a doubleheader on Saturday, falling in both games with final scores of 9-2 and 13-6. Despite showing moments of promise, the Golden Eagles were ultimately outmatched by the Crimson Hawks in both contests.
Game 1: IUP 9, Clarion 2
The first game opened with a scoreless first inning, as both teams failed to bring any runners across the plate. The third inning saw IUP take the lead with Carter Kirsch's single followed by Erik Rhodes' triple, bringing Kirsch home. Rhodes was later tagged out at home on a fielder's choice, but Ricardo Aponte advanced to third on a catcher's error. Camden Rhude's single, combined with an error, allowed Aponte to score, giving IUP a 2-0 lead after three innings.
The Golden Eagles responded in the fourth inning.
Randy Carlo doubled to start the inning, followed by
Jacob Patterson reaching on an error.
Elvin Robles doubled, bringing Carlo home.
Brayden Foster scored Patterson on a productive groundout, tying the game at 2-2. However, the Crimson Hawks reclaimed the lead in their half, with Michael Kramer walking and later scoring on a double by Rhodes, making it 3-2 in favor of IUP through four innings.
In the fifth inning, IUP extended its lead. After three consecutive singles, Anthony Diodata scored, and Michael Kramer drove in two more runs with a single, resulting in a 6-2 advantage for IUP through five innings. The sixth inning added further to IUP's lead, as a series of hits, including a double by David Kessler, contributed three additional runs, bringing the score to 9-2. The Golden Eagles were unable to mount a comeback, with the seventh inning concluding without further scoring from either side.
Aiden Hartle started for the Golden Eagles and pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out four batters and issuing two walks. Carlo led the Golden Eagles with two hits, including a double, and scored a run in the game. Robles contributed with a double of his own, driving in one run. Foster also recorded a double and added an RBI to his tally.
Game 2: IUP 13, Clarion 6
In the second game, Clarion started strong in the first inning with
Tyson Gill doubling to right field and later scoring on a groundout by
Randy Carlo. However, IUP responded with a seven-run surge, highlighted by Ricardo Aponte's RBI triple. The score stood at 7-1 in favor of the Crimson Hawks after the first inning.
In the second inning, the Golden Eagles narrowed the gap by scoring three runs.
Jacob Patterson doubled and scored on an
Elvin Robles double, while
Ethan McNally and Zach Colangelo each added an RBI. IUP added one more run in its half, maintaining an 8-4 lead through two innings.
The third inning saw the Crimson Hawks extend their lead with two additional runs, marked by a two-RBI double from Camden Rhude. IUP continued to build their lead in the fourth inning, adding two runs via a two-RBI double by Teague Hoover, pushing the score to 12-4. In the fifth inning, the Crimson Hawks scored another run on a sacrifice fly, increasing their lead to 13-4.
The Golden Eagles managed to cut into the deficit in the seventh inning. After
Brenin Striplin singled and
Elvin Robles doubled him home, Robles later scored on a wild pitch.
Elvin Robles led the team with three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice.
Jacob Patterson contributed with a double and a run scored.
Tyson Gill added a double and scored once while also drawing a walk. Zach Colangelo drove in a run with his lone hit of the game.
