Pitt-Johnstown had Clarion on the ropes before being handed a frustrating 9-8 loss in nine innings in the opener of a four-game series. The Mountain Cats suffered an eerily similar fate when they lost a lead in the latter stages and also fell 9-8 in the second game of a PSAC West doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Point Stadium.
They dropped to 13-20 overall behind a 4-10 mark in the conference. The Golden Eagles moved to 8-24 and 4-10 in the PSAC West.
The two teams played to a scoreless tie through three innings of game one before Clarion posted three runs on three hits in the fourth.
Josh Ulery and Dylan Boyles worked back-to-back walks to lead off the Mountain Cats' fourth. Alex Ebeling executed a sacrifice bunt to move both up before Ulery scored on an error to make it 3-1.
Justin Turcovski's triple to the deepest part of the yard in right-center field trimmed the deficit to 3-2. He came home to tie the game one batter later on Calvin Iseminger's sacrifice fly.
The score remained 3-3 until each team notched a pair of runs in the eighth. Ulery doubled, Boyles walked and both again moved up on a sacrifice bunt from Ebeling. Turcovski drilled a two-RBI triple with one out to tie the game. Despite the golden opportunity, two straight groundouts sent the game to the ninth.
A three-run home run by the Golden Eagles gave them a 9-5 lead. But Garrett Prosper and Alex Glumac singled to start the ninth before being moved up on bunt by Erik Rhodes. Ulery drove them both in with a two-RBI base-hit and Boyles doubled to put the tying run on base. Ebeling's groundout scored Ulery, but a harmless flyout ended the game.
The Mountain Cats were the aggressor early on in the second game after scoring four runs in their half of the first, highlighted by Turcovski's two-RBI sacrifice fly and Prosper's solo home run.
Clarion responded with two runs in the second, but Pitt-Johnstown restored its four-run lead thanks to an RBI double from Boyles and an RBI single from Turcovski in the third.
The Golden Eagles struck for four runs in the fifth to take their first lead. The Mountain Cats answered when Rhodes tied it on a sacrifice fly with one out in the sixth. Aidan Steinbugl, who reached on an error earlier in the inning, crossed home on a passed ball to make it 8-7.
Boyles singled and later stole second with two outs in the seventh to put the tying run in scoring position, but Clarion induced another flyout to secure the sweep. Prosper finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Turcovski totaled three RBIs and Rhodes added a single.
Pitt-Johnstown will conclude its season-series against Clarion on the road Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
