Dan Clark belted a pair of homeruns, and
Jack Shirk drove in three to help Pitt-Johnstown to an 11-2 PSAC win over Clarion in Saturday's first game of a doubleheader at Point Stadium. Clarion earned the split with a 9-8 come-from-behind victory in game two. The Mountain Cats are now 17-23 overall and 7-13 in the PSAC Western Division.
Clarion loaded the bases to start the game, but
Nathan Bearer settled down and held the Golden Eagles to just one run.
Pitt-Johnstown answered with three in the bottom of the first.
Brett Hileman's single to center scored
Dillon Boyer to tie it, and
Joe Gagliardi two-run single made it 3-1.
Jack Shirk's three-run double and a solo home run from Clark in the Mountain Cats' five-run second inning increased it to 8-1.
Clark's second homer of the day, a two-run shot down the left field line, in the Pitt-Johnstown fourth extended the lead to 10-2.
Clark homered twice and drove in three, while Hileman had three hits and a pair of RBI to lead the Mountain Cats. Shirk had three RBI, Gagliardi had two RBI, and Cook doubled twice.
Supanick picked-up the win in relief of Bearer. Supanick held Clarion scoreless on one hit over the final four innings. He also struck out five and walked two. Bearer started and allowed two runs on three hits in three innings.
In the nightcap, Hileman hit a two-run homerun and Clark added his third homer of the day, but Clarion erased a four-run deficit with five runs in the fourth inning on its way to the 9-8 win.
Clark was 3-for-4 with a homer, a triple, and three runs scored, and
Tanner Cook had two hits, including a triple, and three RBI for the Mountain Cats.
Zach Zinn also had two hits.
Trent Martin fell to 1-6 after surrendering eight runs (5 earned) on seven hits in three innings.
With the split, Clarion is now 10-25 overall and 4-16 in the PSAC West.
Pitt-Johnstown will open a four-game home-and-home PSAC series against No.1-ranked Mercyhurst on Friday at 1 p.m. at Point Stadium, before concluding the series in Erie on Saturday.
