CUP Thursday Roundup: Softball Falls to 1-15

hoffman cup softball
CLERMONT, Fla. – The Clarion softball team dropped both halves of a doubleheader, including a wild 10-inning finish in the nightcap, as the Golden Eagles fell 9-0 to Concordia-St. Paul and 6-3 to Philadelphia at the PFX Spring Games.

Clarion (1-15) will finish their week in Florida with one more doubleheader tomorrow.

Cassie Daniels went 3-of-6 at the plate to lead the Golden Eagles in hits on the afternoon, with Alexis Boie and Rachel Hoffman driving in runs. Hoffman also pitched a strong game against the Rams, allowing six runs – but only two earned – in 10 innings. She struck out nine and walked only one.

The best performances of the day came in the late game against Philadelphia. Clarion rallied from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to end the game to extra innings, and the Golden Eagles held off defeat in the extra innings as well with another rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Golden Eagles scored their first run of the game on an RBI single by Hoffman, driving in Taylor Nonnenberg. Boie tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning with an RBI double that plated Cassie Daniels, after Daniels led off the inning reaching on an error.

The teams remained deadlocked at 2-2 until the ninth inning when Philadelphia took a 3-2 lead in the top half. Laura Sadowski displayed some heads-up baserunning in the bottom of the ninth, though, scoring on an error to knot it up at 3-3. Daniels struck out swinging but a dropped third strike allowed her to make a play for first base, with the catcher missing the connection at first and allowing Sadowski to score. The Rams tacked on three in the top of the 10th inning to take the win.

Sarah Gossard took the loss in the early game against Concordia-St. Paul, allowing seven runs in 3.0 innings pitched. The Golden Eagles had a chance to chip away at the lead in the third inning when Boie, Nonnenberg and Daniels loaded the bases, but Brigid Stermel flew out to center field to end the threat.

BASEBALL CAN’T HANDLE LOCK HAVEN

WILSON, N.C. – The Clarion University baseball team fell 7-3 to the Lock Haven Eagles Thursday morning at Fleming Stadium. The loss moves the Golden Eagles to 3-6 on the season.

The Blue and Gold will return to action next weekend when they open up their home schedule against Slippery Rock University.

Lock Haven pitcher Zach Manuppelli was dominant early on for the Eagles, tossing six no-hit innings to start the game while the LHU bats went to work building up an early lead. Hunter Szaflarski lead-off with a triple to left-field and scored two batters later after DH Matt Lahn knocked a single into right. Lahn would score on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead after one.

They would build that lead up to six runs before shortstop Joey Lopez managed to end the no-hitter with a single in the bottom of the sixth.

Building off of the momentum of the Lopez single, CU would rally for a big inning in the seventh. Austin Mike drew a lead-off walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch shortly thereafter. A Dillon Wolbert single would bring him to third before a throwing error on the Lock Haven shortstop brought him home to put Clarion on the board. A Matt Kamenicky single would drive in Tyler Hall and Wolbert to cut the Lock Haven lead to 6-3.

Unfortunately, it would be the end of the rally for Clarion, and the Eagles would hold on to win 7-3.


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