BUTLER, Pa. – The Clarion University baseball team split a pair of decisions with the IUP Crimson Hawks Saturday afternoon, winning game one in walk-off fashion by a score of 3-2 and dropping game two 8-3.
(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)
The win and loss moves the Golden Eagles to 17-23 on the season a 7-13 in the PSAC West. The Blue and Gold return to action when they start a four-game series against Mercyhurst next weekend.
Game one started out as a pitching duel, as both squads went scoreless into the fifth inning before IUP broke the tie scoring two runs in the top of the fifth inning. IUP scored both runs off of one hit, a home run to left field that plated the first and last runs of the day from the Crimson Hawks.
Clarion would tie things up in the bottom of the sixth inning courtesy of a Nick Fugh single that went through the legs of the left fielder allowing Alex Ficorilli and Bryce Jackson to come around and score to tie the game.
Ficorilli proved clutch in the bottom of the seventh driving in the game-winning run from third. The inning started with a Will Constantin single to left field. After Constantin advanced to second on a wild pitch a bunt single from Chandler Palyas advanced the winning run just ninety feet from the plate. Palyas stole second on the first pitch of Ficorilli’s at bat to put two runners in scoring position but Ficorilli would walk it off with a single to left field to give the Blue and Gold the advantage and the game.
Kyler Mellott got the start on the mound for Clarion tossing a superb 6.2 innings allowing just five hits, while striking out six. Tiler Sadowski got the win for the Golden Eagles recording the last out of the seventh inning securing a strikeout to end the inning.
The Crimson Hawks would start game two with a vengeance, leading off the top of the first inning with a solo homer to put IUP up one run early. IUP would tack on two more runs in the second to give them an early 3-0 thanks to a leadoff double, a single and an error.
The Golden Eagles pulled back within one in the bottom half of the second inning starting with Bryce Jackson who was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Thomas Lavin singled moving Jackson over to second but was called out on the next at bat when Ben Barth reached safely on a fielder’s choice, allowing Jackson to come home and score. Cole Shaffer reached safely on a fielder’s choice and would later come around to score on a passed ball after a Will Constantin walk, making the score 3-2.
IUP answered back in the top of the third though, scoring three more runs to push their lead to 6-2 starting with a solo homer to left field from Matt Swartz. The score would remain the same until the top of the seventh when the Crimson Hawks scored two more runs courtesy of a double and a single to put the game out of reach for good making it 8-2.
Clarion tried to pull off the late game heroics one more time in the bottom of the seventh inning as Palyas lead off the inning with a 420 foot triple to deep center field. Fugh would prove clutch driving in Palyas from third making the score 8-3 but that’s all the closer Clarion would get.
Clarion used just four pitchers in game two, allowing 10 hits on the afternoon. Jeremy Frazier got the start on the mound, tossing 2.0 innings allowing five runs on six hits. Freshman Bryan Layton got the ball in relief throwing 4.0 innings allowing just two hits and one run while striking out two.
Poor Conditions Nix Final Day at Gannon Invitational
ERIE, Pa. – Due to overnight rain and poor course conditions, the final day of the Gannon Invitational has been canceled. The previous day’s scores will, therefore, count as the final standings for the tournament, with Clarion women’s golf team finishing seventh in the field at Lake Shore Country Club.
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