Jacob Cramer belted a pair of home runs in game two,' including a grand slam in the top of the seventh to cap a six-run rally and lift to Pitt-Johnstown to an 8-6 win and a PSAC West doubleheader split against Clarion, Friday afternoon in DuBois. The Golden Eagles took the opener, 13-4.
Pitt-Johnstown is now 12-19 (3-7 PSAC) heading into day two against Clarion.
Game 1: Clarion 13, Pitt-Johnstown 4
Clarion got off to a hot start, scoring two runs in the first off a two-run homer. The Golden Eagles repeated in the second frame with two more runs.
Pitt-Johnstown battled back in the top of the third, starting off with a run-scoring fielder's choice from
Jared Dowey.
Karson Reffner followed with a game-tying three-run homer to left field.
Clarion took the lead right back in the bottom of the third off a fielder's choice.
That following inning, the Golden Eagles added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly-out, making the game 6-4.
The Mountain Cats got multiple baserunners in the fifth with walks from Dowey and
Calvin Iseminger, but a double play ended it.
Pitt-Johnstown threw up a scoreless fifth, but Clarion's offense exploded for seven runs in the sixth. That hole was too big for the Mountain Cats to climb out of and Clarion took game one with a final score of 13-4.
Jimmy Kunst suffered the loss after tossing three innings, allowing six runs (four earned), five hits, and four walks, while striking out two.
Ben Tomb struck out five and threw two and two-third frames and
Jacob McCoy wrapped it up with a third of a scoreless inning.
Game 2: Pitt-Johnstown 8, Clarion 6
Clarion jumped out in front of game two with a two-run homer in the first inning.
Later on in the fourth,
Calvin Iseminger drove in
Karson Reffner to cut the Golden Eagles' lead in half.
Then in the fifth inning, Clarion added three insurance runs off four hits, giving the Golden Eagles a 5-1 lead.
Cramer kept the Mountain Cats alive with a solo home run in the sixth inning, but Clarion got the run back with a sacrifice fly-out.
Onto the top of the seventh inning where Pitt-Johnstown exploded for six runs. The rally started with a sacrifice fly-out from
Jared Dowey and then Iseminger followed with a run-scoring double.
Tate Minich and
Crusen Stover walked to load the bases for Cramer. He drove the 1-1 pitch to left field for a go-ahead grand slam, giving Pitt-Johnstown an 8-6 lead.
Roman Donis finished the game with a 1-2-3 seventh inning to earn the win in relief.
Brian Pirone spun four and two-thirds innings, striking out seven, allowing five earned runs off six hits and four walks.
Pitt-Johnstown will host Clarion for another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday to wrap up the series.
