Clarion University Softball Gets First DH Sweep Since 2010

Chris Rossetti

Chris Rossetti

Published April 20, 2014 4:16 am
Image

rp_primary_softballCLARION, Pa. — The Clarion University softball team picked up its first doubleheader sweep in four years Saturday when it took a twinbill from visiting Slippery Rock at Memorial Field.

The Golden Eagles won Game One 1-0 in 10 innings to snap a 56-game conference losing streak and then completed the sweep with a come-from-behind 6-3 victory in Game Two. It’s Clarion’s first doubleheader sweep since April 17, 2010, when the Golden Eagles took a pair of home games from visiting Lock Haven in PSAC Central play.

Game One featured a well-pitched game between Clarion’s Shawnna Crago and Slippery Rock’s Emily Lobdell that saw the Golden Eagles (3-22 overall, 2-16 PSAC West) prevail in the bottom of the 10th inning when The Rock’s catcher, McKenzie Popatak, threw a bunted ball from Clarion’s Jordan Syfert into the dirt past first baseman Breanna Tongel that allowed Elizabeth Shiring to score from second base.

Shiring had been placed on second with the International tiebreaker rule to start the 10th, and Syfert was attempting to bunt her to third.

Crago, who got the complete-game victory allowing just three hits and a walk in 10 innings of work while striking out a career-high 13, had pitched around Slippery Rock’s placement of a runner at second to start the top of the 10th with the International tiebreaker rule by getting a pop out and two strikeouts. The 13 whiffs were the most by a Golden Eagle hurler since April Shannon had 14 at Edinboro April 9, 2004. They were the most strikeouts at home by a Clarion pitcher since Shannon whiffed 15 against Edinboro April 2, 2003.

Lobdell was nearly as good for The Rock (13-20, 9-11) throwing nine-plus innings and allowing the one run, which was unearned, on six hits and no walks while striking out 11.

All six of Clarion’s hits — Kirsten Wilcox, Christina Tressler, Casey Wilcox, Syfert, Crago and Kayla Henderson each had one — were singles.

Ashley Samluck had a pair of hits in four at bats to lead Slippery Rock including a double, while Eliza Sykes had a one.

Both pitchers worked around trouble a few times.

In addition to working around the runner at second in the 10th, Crago also stranded Sykes at third in the first, Megan Maloney at third in the third, Samluck at second in the seventh and Maloney at second in the eighth.

Crago’s best work may have come in the seventh when Samluck led off the inning with a double but moved no farther thanks to three straight strikeouts by Crago.

Clarion wasn’t satisfied with just the one win, the first conference win since beating Mansfield 4-2 at Clarion in PSAC Central play April 10, 2011, however, rallying twice in the nightcap to get the sweep.

Slippery Rock grabbed a 2-0 lead off of Paige Baker in the top of the first with one of the runs being unearned, but the Golden Eagles tied the game with a run in the first and another in the third.

In the first, Tressler, who was 1-for-2 in the game with two runs scored, had a two-out single to left and moved to second on a wild pitch. Taylor Powell, who was 2-for-2 with three RBIs in the game, then brought her home with a double to right-center.

Powell drove in the tying run in the third as well with a double to deep center that scored Ashley Barenchik from third. Barenchik, who was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, got the rally started with a one-out double to the fence in left-center.

Slippery Rock, though, battled back to retake the lead, 3-2, with another unearned run in the top of the fifth.

But Clarion had the answer throwing up a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth to gain the lead for good, 6-3.

Kayla Henderson and Kirsten Wilcox led off the inning with back-to-back walks before Barenchik drove home Henderson with a single down the left-field line to tie the game at three.

Tressler was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Clarion a sacrifice fly to left field by Powell ended up scoring two runs when the throw by Maloney, the leftfielder skipped out of play giving Clarion a 5-3 lead. Casey Wilcox then followed with another sacrifice fly to set the final score.

Baker was solid going the distance to pick up her first collegiate win. She allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits and a walk while striking out four.

Clarion returns to action Wednesday when it travels to IUP for a PSAC West doubleheader.

rp_primary_softball

Recent Articles

Community Partner