CLARION, Pa. — With their season on the line and their backs against the wall, the Golden Eagles softball team clinched a PSAC Tournament berth with a thrilling doubleheader sweep over Slippery Rock, with dramatic extra inning walk-off victories highlighting their Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. Clarion took the first game 5-4 in nine innings, followed by an 11-10 win in the nightcap to official clinch the playoff spot.
The PSAC Tournament berth for Clarion is the first since at least 1992.
The Golden Eagles will play Shepherd - the fourth seed in the East division - on Wednesday, May 6 at the Grand Slam Center in Binghamton, N.Y. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m. They are guaranteed at least one more game on Wednesday in the double-elimination tournament; should they win, they would face the West's top seed, IUP, later in the day.
Game 1: Clarion 5, Slippery Rock 4 (9 inn.)
In the first game,
Amber Gilliam hit a walkoff RBI single in the ninth inning, delivering a 5-4 win. The Golden Eagles rallied from deficits in the seventh and eighth innings before taking the lead for the first and only time in the ninth. With the game tied at 4-4 after eight innings, pitcher
Emma Hipps retired the Rock in order in the top of the ninth to give her offense a chance.
Delanie Davison led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. With one out, Gilliam slapped a line drive to center field, with Davison rounding third and heading for home. The center fielder misplayed the ball, allowing Davison to score and giving Clarion the victory.
The Golden Eagles initially built pressure in the second inning when
Jordy Best doubled and executed a daring steal of home, scoring on a failed squeeze bunt attempt when Sarah Brown lost the handle on the ball at the plate.
Sabi Medrano's walk in the third set up a scoring opportunity, as she later crossed the plate on Best's RBI single. Despite these efforts, The Rock managed to take the lead in the top of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly from Maddie Cavenaugh, going ahead 3-2. Clarion tied things back up with a single to center field, scoring
Emily Buchleitner to send the game to extras. In the eighth, Slippery Rock again took the lead, going ahead 4-3 on a sacrifice fly after a two-base error put Alyssa Sheely on third with one out. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Sophie Petrash reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error.
Alexis Valencia slashed a ball through the left side of the infield to score Petrash and even the score at 4-4, setting up Gilliam's heroics.
Emma Hipps pitched a complete game for the Golden Eagles, going 9.0 innings while allowing four runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits. Hipps struck out five batters and issued two walks, throwing a total of 111 pitches with 71 strikes.
Emily Buchleitner added to the offense with two hits, including a double, and scored one run.
Game 2: Clarion 11, Slippery Rock 10 (8 inn.)
In the second game, the Golden Eagles clinched their PSAC Tournament berth with an 11–10 victory, rallying from a 10-5 deficit in the final two innings. The Rock seized the lead in the sixth inning, pushing six runs across the plate, including a crucial RBI double by Grace Smith, followed by a costly error that allowed another run to score. A two-RBI single by Aubrey Mansfield cemented Slippery Rock's temporary advantage, putting them ahead 10-5 after trailing 5-4.
The Golden Eagles responded in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four times to pull within a run.
Sabi Medrano's two-RBI single was key, bringing home
Alexis Valencia and
Emily Buchleitner, both unearned runs due to a defensive lapse. Still needing at least a run to extend the game, the Golden Eagles turned to
Emma Hipps, who had thrown a complete game just hours earlier. Hipps managed to overcome a leadoff single from Grace Smith by inducing a pop-up and getting Paige Parker to hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Down to their last out in the bottom of the seventh,
Sami Springman smashed a double to keep hope alive.
Brooke Dobson then lifted a single down the right field line, bringing Springman home for the tying run. The game concluded dramatically in extra innings; after a scoreless top of the eighth from Hipps, Valencia led off the bottom of the inning with a single.
Emily Buchleitner's tap to shortstop resulted in a wild throw attempt to second, allowing Valencia to score from first for the win.
Rian Reed started in the circle for the Golden Eagles, pitching 4.0 innings and allowing four earned runs on five hits while striking out two and walking two.
Emma Hipps earned her second win of the day, throwing two innings of one-hit ball.
Emily Buchleitner led the team with two hits and drove in two runs, adding two runs scored and a stolen base. Medrano was effective at the plate, recording three hits and two RBIs while also stealing a base.
Brooke Dobson contributed by going 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Springman had a pair of hits, both doubles.
