Sports
Golden Eagles’ bats silenced against CalU
Junior Mark White is 0-2 in game one of a doubleheader against California University of Pennsylvania. (Archive Photo / The Clarion Call)
Postponements once again tampered with the Clarion University baseball team schedule this past weekend.
The Golden Eagles played two out of the four games they had scheduled on April 8 and 9 against California University of Pennsylvania.
Clarion lost both games in the double header on Saturday, April 9, and was held scoreless by CalU.
Clarion dropped game one of the weekend’s doubleheader 8-0.
The Golden Eagle offense failed to supply runs again in game two, losing a hard-fought game 1-0.
The Golden Eagles recorded two hits through the entirety of game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Sophomore designated hitter Bill Hasson and junior third baseman Scott Berkes were the only Clarion players to register any offense.
CalU’s Randy Sturgill pitched a lights-out performance for the Vulcans, lasting for seven innings of work on the mound. Sturgill avoided walking a single batter, gave up only two
hits, and struck out six Golden Eagles.
Sturgill leads the Vulcan pitching staff with an ERA of 2.42 through 52 innings of work this year. His record is 6-2.
Freshman Sam Skraba took the mound first for Clarion.
Game one would end up handing him his first loss of the season.
Skraba lasted only 1.1 innings, allowing six hits and three runs.
Junior T.J. Anderson took over for Skraba in the top of the second inning, and managed to hold the Vulcan offense at bay for his 3.2 innings of duty. Anderson allowed the lowest
number of runs for any Clarion pitcher throughout the game and gave up only four hits.
Clarion freshman Matt Warhola was last in line to pitch, and served for only one inning.
He walked one batter, struck out one batter, and gave up three hits and three runs.
Game two of the day proved to be similar to game one for the Clarion baseball squad.
Two positive pitching performances for CalU restricted Clarion from batting in any runs.
Junior Matt Rossi, junior Ken Morgan and Hasson each pounded hits for the Golden Eagles during the game, but these didn’t lead to any runs.
CalU managed to strike only three hits for the entirety of the game, but they were enough to push one run across the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Aaron Ordy provided the double that scored Adam Links for the game’s sole run.
Clarion freshman Mike Dunn handled the singular pitching responsibilities for the day, lasting through six innings of work.
Dunn managed to strike out three Vulcans, while walking none.
On CalU’s side, Ryan MacNamara took the mound and put up a solid 4.2 innings of pitching for his team.
He struck out five batters before handing the ball over to reliever, Kyle Petty.
Petty secured the save for the Vulcans, his third on the season.
He struck out Clarion senior Nate Weiss in the top of the fifth inning, and allowed just two hits in his 2.1 innings.
Things have been anything but easy for the Clarion baseball team this season.
Weather conditions have restricted the team from practicing and playing games on numerous occasions.
“We haven’t had a practice out on an actual field yet,” Coach Mike Brown said.
“We’ve been practicing in the gym, on the football field, in parking lots, and in the batting cages.”
A doubleheader against Gannon is scheduled for Thursday, April 14, in Erie.
The Golden Eagles are set to play just seven more doubleheader match-ups this season as the end of the athletic year draws to a close.
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