Clarion took Monday's opener of a PSAC Western Division softball doubleheader in Clarion, 4-1, over Pitt-Johnstown before completing the sweep with a 9-2 victory in the nightcap.
Hailei Markee had four hits, and
Tori Radvan chipped in three hits for the Mountain Cats, who fell to 3-11 overall and 3-9 in conference-play.
In game one, Clarion jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and went on to the 4-1 victory.
Makenzie Wolfe's first inning ground out plated Carissa Giordano, before the Golden Eagles added three more in the second.
Nicole Collins' two-run single up the middle in the bottom of the second scored Rebecca Kelley and Hannah Norton, and Brooke Cline's two out base hit chased home Collins to give Clarion a 4-0 advantage.
It stayed that way until Pitt-Johnstown came up with a run in the top of the seventh. With two outs,
Laura Fox singled and came around to score on
Tori Radvan's pinch hit double.
Laura Sadowski was able to get
Olivia Porter to ground out to finish the complete-game for the Golden Eagles. Sadowski allowed one run on seven hits to even her record at 1-1.
Markee went 2-for-3 three, and
Tori Radvan added an RBI double for the Mountain Cats.
Stacey Walling,
Carly Santillo, Porter, and Fox also had hits for Pitt-Johnstown.
Kristen Coffay slipped to 2-4 after giving up four runs on seven hits in six innings in the circle.
In game two, Clarion erased a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the first and added three more unanswered run over the next three innings on its way to the sweep.
After a single to lead off the game, Porter stole second, moved to third on Markee's single down the left field line, and scored on
Tori Radvan's RBI ground out to give the Mountain Cats a quick 1-0 lead.
Clarion came right back with three in the bottom of the first off of Pitt-Johnstown starter
Ashley Pagliei. Giordano stole home on a double steal to tie it at one. Kelley followed two batters later with an RBI single, then scored from second on a Mountain Cat error.
Jessica Cartia's RBI single in the Golden Eagles half of the second, and Brooke McCanna's run scoring base hit down the left field line in the third made it 5-1.
Cartia connected for a solo homer to left in the bottom of the fourth, but Pitt-Johnstown got that run back in the fifth. Markee and Santillo each walked. Markee stole third and scored on
Kristie Radvan's single through the left side.
Clarion tacked on three more in the bottom of the fifth, including Kelley's two-run triple.
Markee was 2-for-3 with a walk, while Tori and
Kristie Radvan each had a hit and an RBI for the Mountain Cats. Ginther doubled, and Porter singled for Pitt-Johnstown.
Pagliei pitched the first five innings and surrendered nine runs (8 earned) on 15 hits to fall to 0-3.
Kristie Radvan tossed a scoreless sixth inning and struck out two.
With the sweep, Clarion took 3-of-4 in the series, and improved to 6-10 overall and 4-8 in the PSAC West.
Pitt-Johnstown visits Millersville for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, before hosting a PSAC doubleheader against Mercyhurst at V.E. Erickson Complex on Friday at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
