Clarion U. Baseball Splits with IUP on Thursday

DUBOIS, Pa. – After using five pitchers and giving up 30 runs in game one of a PSAC West doubleheader with IUP Thursday at Showers Field in DuBois, the Clarion University baseball team was looking for someone to take command on the mound.

(Photo: Tyler Delval)

And junior Tyler Delval did just that throwing a complete-game six-hitter in game two to help the Golden Eagles earn an 8-5 victory and a split of the twin bill after dropping game one 30-10.

Delval was solid giving up just three earned runs and keeping the IUP bats all but silent after a three-run third inning that gave the Crimson Hawks (9-13, 5-5 PSAC West) a 4-2 lead retiring 12 of the final 16 batters he faced giving up just a solo home run.

The homer was one of three Delval allowed on the afternoon, but it was a day that saw 15 total homers hit in the doubleheader at a park that played as small as its dimensions of 333 to center, 315 to the right-field power alley, 366 to the left-field power alley, 312 down the left-field line and 340 down the right-field line would indicate.

IUP blasted 10 of the 16 home runs including six in the first game, while Clarion (5-14, 3-9) had five including a pair by Delval in the opener, dingers by Tyler Falk and Mike Lockhart in the second game and a Josh Ponsoll three-run blast in game one.

The second game looked like it would be a carbon copy of the first when IUP hit around three times and Clarion once when the teams combined to score eight runs in the first three innings with the Golden Eagles jumping out in front 2-1 on a two-run homer by Lockhart in the second inning before IUP scored three in the third to take a 4-2 lead prior to a game-tying two-run jack by Falk in the bottom of the third.

Clarion finally went ahead for good with a four-run fourth that somehow didn’t feature a home run but did see run scoring doubles by Lockhart and Matt Kamenicky, with Kamenicky’s driving home two runs. Joey Lopez also had a sacrifice fly in the inning on a ball that was dropped by the IUP centerfielder, one of two dropped fly balls by the Crimson Hawks in the inning.

Delval was strong with the lead giving up just two hits after the Golden Eagles went in front. He ended up striking out three and walking just one in his seven innings of work.

Offensively, Lockhart was 2-for-3 with the home run and double to go with three RBIs and two runs scored. Kamenicky, just a freshman, responded to a chance to start by going 2-for-3 with the double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Falk also had a pair of RBIs on his two-run jack, while Delval was 1-for-2 at the plate with a single and a walk and two runs scored.

Game two allowed Clarion to forget game one when a 5-1 Golden Eagle lead after one inning quickly was turned around when IUP scored 14 runs in the second inning while sending 17 men to the plate. The Crimson Hawks then tackled on a five-run fourth, a six-run fifth, a one-run sixth and a three-run seventh while knocking out 26 hits and taking advantage of 11 Clarion walks.

Clarion’s offense was also strong in the game with four batters getting multiple-hit games led by a 3-for-4 performance by Ponsoll, who was just a triple short of the cycle. His three-run home run in the first inning gave Clarion a 4-1 lead and was followed by a solo shot by Delval, who was 2-for-3 with two home runs in the game.

Jordan Mesoraco was also 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and an RBI, while Falk was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.

Austin Mike took the loss going 1 ? innings and allowing 13 runs, all earned, on nine hits and seven walks while striking out one. Brendan Fitzgerald followed giving up seven runs, all earned, on six hits and a walk in an inning of work. Josh Friel, making his second appearance of the season, ended up being Clarion’s best pitcher in the game going 1 ? scoreless while not allowing a hit, walking one and striking out one. Brian Laurito threw one inning allowing six earned runs on five hits and a walk, and Tom McCloskey pitched two innings giving up four earned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out one.

Amazingly, all 40 runs in the first game were earned runs.

NOTES – IUP turned a triple play in the bottom of the first of game two. With Drew Pirritano on third and Lopez on first after a pair of IUP errors leading off the inning, Falks hit a ground ball to third baseman Mike Lupia who threw to second baseman Austin Mock erasing Lopez for the first out. Mock then threw to first baseman Ryan Uhl to retire Falk, and Uhl turned and threw to catcher Wes Carson, who tagged out a late breaking Pirritano for the third out of the inning.