CLARION, Pa. — Clarion faced Seton Hill in a doubleheader at Memorial Stadium, with the Golden Eagles narrowly falling in the first game, 6-5, before bouncing back to secure a 5-3 victory in the second.
Game 1: Seton Hill 6, Clarion 5
In the first game, Clarion managed seven hits and drew eight walks but could not hold off a late-inning rally from the Griffins. Seton Hill staged a dramatic comeback in the top of the seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run homer from Lacey Lynn and an RBI single by Kassidy Wittig, turning a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 advantage. The Golden Eagles could not muster a response in the bottom half as
Emma Hipps,
Brooke Dobson, and Sophie Petrash were retired in order.
Earlier in the game, Clarion took control with a potent start, scoring two runs in the first inning.
Sabi Medrano singled to drive in
Emily Buchleitner, and
Delanie Davison followed with an RBI single of her own. Buchleitner continued to impact the game, reaching base multiple times and scoring twice. In the fifth inning, Dobson drew a bases-loaded walk, pushing the Golden Eagles ahead 4-3. The team extended its lead to 5-3 in the sixth with a sacrifice bunt from
Jordy Best that allowed Buchleitner to score. Despite these efforts, Clarion's inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities and the Griffins' late offensive surge proved decisive.
Emma Hipps pitched a complete game for the Golden Eagles, throwing all 7.0 innings against the Griffins. She recorded seven strikeouts while issuing one walk and hitting one batter.
Emily Buchleitner scored two runs and contributed two stolen bases in the contest, while
Delanie Davison added two hits, including a double, and drove in one run.
Sabi Medrano tallied one run and one RBI with her single hit of the game.
Game 2: Clarion 5, Seton Hill 3
In the second game, Clarion earned a 5-3 victory over Seton Hill, delivering a total of 10 hits and stealing four bases to clinch the win. Clarion built its advantage through strategic plays and timely hitting. In the second inning,
Jordy Best reached third on a wild pitch and scored on
Ainsley Perdicaris's sacrifice fly. The third inning saw
Alexis Valencia score after a sequence of hits by
Sabi Medrano and
Delanie Davison. The Golden Eagles' pressure continued in the fourth, where
Brooke Dobson scored on a sacrifice fly by
Emily Buchleitner, followed by Valencia scoring on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 4-0.
Clarion's aggressive baserunning in the fifth added another run as Davison stole home, capitalizing on defensive miscues. Despite Seton Hill's late push, scoring three runs in the sixth inning with doubles from Kassidy Wittig, Taylor Schmitt, and Skylah Steban, the Golden Eagles maintained their composure and halted further scoring threats to secure the win.
Ainsley Perdicaris delivered a complete game performance, pitching 7.0 innings and allowing 3 earned runs on 9 hits. She struck out three batters and issued only one walk, throwing 106 pitches, 68 of which were strikes. This outing improved Perdicaris's record to 3-2 on the season.
Alexis Valencia scored two runs and collected two hits, contributing significantly to the team's offensive output.
Delanie Davison added two hits and one RBI while also scoring a run, and
Brooke Dobson recorded two hits and scored a run.
