Clarion U. Roundup: Softball Swept, Tennis Falls, Golf Eighth

| April 11, 2018


CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion softball team played its 2018 home opener on Tuesday, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Pitt-Johnstown at the Memorial Stadium Complex.

(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)

The Golden Eagles fell 3-1 in the early game and 9-4 in the late game. Clarion (4-18, 1-5 PSAC Central) will be back in action tomorrow with a non-conference doubleheader against Edinboro.

Game 1
Jessica Cartia provided the offensive punch for the Golden Eagles in the first game, cutting Pitt-Johnstown’s late lead in half and putting Clarion in position to possibly come back and send the game to extra innings. The Mountain Cats scored two unearned runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead, with Sarah Gossard (2-7) taking the impact of the hard-luck loss.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Golden Eagles put themselves back into contention. Cartia led off the frame with her third home run of the season, launching the ball over the fence in dead center field to cut the Mountain Cats’ lead to 2-1.

Pitt-Johnstown added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning when Stacey Walling hit her own solo home run, making it 3-1. Aryn Boyer had a chance to score in the sixth inning when she reached third base with two outs, but a strikeout swinging ended the threat.

Game 2
Cartia tagged another home run in the second game, once again hitting one over the center field fence to make it 2-1 in the third inning. The Mountain Cats led by a 3-1 score in the fifth inning before a three-run outburst briefly put Clarion on top. Taylor Nonnenberg reached on a bunt single with one out, and two-out walks by Cassidy Runyan and Moriah Lynn helped keep the rally alive.

Natalie Else busted the game wide open with a bases-clearing double to the right-center gap, scoring all three baserunners and putting the Golden Eagles ahead 4-3. Pitt-Johnstown responded with their own big inning, scoring six runs in the top of the sixth to secure the win.

Macy Rubin (1-4) took the loss in Game 2, throwing 6.0 innings and allowing nine runs, though only three were earned.

TENNIS LOSES 9-0

EDINBORO, Pa. – Making up a match that was supposed to be played a day before, the Clarion women’s tennis team fell by a score of 9-0 at Edinboro on Tuesday evening. The Golden Eagles will next be in action on Thursday when they host Slippery Rock.

The Fighting Scots opened the day by winning all three doubles matches. The tightest of the doubles matches was the No. 2 match, where Vinisha Reddy and Katie Benson narrowly lost an 8-5 decision to Roxana Yeh and Marija Tmusic. Edinboro won both the Nos. 1 and 3 matches by 8-2 scores.

Maria Snyder pushed Tatiana Batalla to a 7-5 score in the first set of the No. 2 singles match before falling 6-0 in the second set. The Fighting Scots won the other five matches on the court handily to secure the team win.

Edinboro 9, Clarion 0
4/10/18 at Edinboro, Pa. (Edinboro Tennis Courts)

Singles competition
1. Laura Lopez (EDIN-W) def. Alivia Arnold (CLARION) 6-1, 6-1
2. Tatiana Batalla (EDIN-W) def. Maria Snyder (CLARION) 7-5, 6-0
3. Roxana Yeh (EDIN-W) def. Vinisha Reddy (CLARION) 6-2, 6-0
4. Jelena Vucenovic (EDIN-W) def. Katie Benson (CLARION) 6-0, 6-0
5. Marija Tmusic (EDIN-W) def. Michelle Petrilla (CLARION) 6-0, 6-0
6. Payton Tomasko (EDIN-W) def. Hailey Germanoski (CLARION) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Laura Lopez/Tatiana Batalla (EDIN-W) def. Alivia Arnold/Maria Snyder (CLARION) 8-2
2. Roxana Yeh/Marija Tmusic (EDIN-W) def. Vinisha Reddy/Katie Benson (CLARION) 8-5
3. Jelena Vucenovic/Payton Tomasko (EDIN-W) def. Michelle Petrilla/Hailey Germanoski (CLARION) 8-2

MEN’S GOLF EIGHTH

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Clarion men’s golf team finished the Dr. Edwin B. Cottrell Invite hosted by West Chester University in eighth place.

The Golden Eagles, placing 8th out of 10 competing teams, finished the two-day tournament with a team score of 630. California (Pa.) wins the tournament with a team score of 598, just four strokes ahead of Millersville University.

Clarion shot a team score of 307 on Tuesday, representing a 16 stroke improvement from Monday’s round of 323.

Nathan Sandberg followed up Monday’s round of 73 by carding a 76 on Tuesday to finish tied for 8th place overall with a two-day score of 149. Austin Smith from California was the top individual golfer, posting back to back rounds of 71 to finish two over par for the tournament.

Mitch Faulkner shot an impressive round of 75 on Tuesday, representing a nine-stroke improvement from Monday to finish tied for 28th.

Nick Giambrone also improved on Tuesday, posting a round of 79 to finish tied for 35th. Tanner Houser cut seven strokes on Tuesday, posting a 77 to also finish tied for 35th with Giambrone.

Logan Reed rounded out the Clarion golfers with a two-day total of 175.


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