Apirl 26, 2023 College Roundup
GROSCH, RAFALSKI POWER MERCYHURST PAST NOTRE DAME (OHIO)
Trailing 2-1 going into the eighth inning, Warren grad Mitch Grosch belted a 2-run home run to rally Mercyhurst past Notre Dame (Ohio), 3-2. Grosch’s blast backed a strong start by fellow Warren grad Ryan Rafalski. Rafalski allowed just two hits in seven innings, struck out 10, and walked two to get the win. McDowell grad Matt Shepherd went the first two innings on the mound for the Lakers. McDowell grad Luke Jackson was also 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Lakers.
SLIPPERY ROCK WALKS OFF AGAINST WEST LIBERTY
Jon Kozarian delivered a walk-off home run in the 10th inning to send Slippery Rock to a 3-2 win over West Liberty. Michael Kitko tossed four scoreless innings of relief to get the win, striking out seven and allowing just one hit.
CLARION WINS SLUGFEST OVER PENN STATE DUBOIS
It was a slugfest from the jump at Memorial Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, with the Golden Eagle baseball team outlasting Penn State – DuBois for a 16-12 non-conference win. Clarion and the Nittany Lions combined for 28 runs on 29 hits, with nine errors between the two sides.
Some history was made for the Golden Eagles, as Scott McManamon broke the program’s single-season stolen base record with three swiped bags. The junior shortstop broke the record after his very first at-bat of the game, reaching on a single up the middle and advancing to second on Caden Contant’s groundout. McManamon stole third base, beating a high throw to secure the historic mark. The previous record of 20 stolen bases in a season was held by Chandler Palyas, who set the mark in 2019.
The shortstop also tied a single-season record in the win, matching Thomas Lavin’s single-season home run record with his ninth big fly of the season. The historic blast came with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. McManamon drilled a pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run, the 15th of his career. That puts him five behind the program’s career record.
That home run came at an opportune time, too, as the feisty Nittany Lions put up a huge smattering of runs in the game. In fact, Penn State – DuBois scored five runs to start the game, taking a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second inning. Clarion put a stop to the bleeding in the bottom of the frame with four runs of their own, starting with Lenny Piccini’s leadoff home run to make it 5-1. Alfredo Hurtado hit his first home run of the season later in that inning, a three-run bomb over the left field fence to cut the Nittany Lions’ lead to 5-4.
Penn State – DuBois tacked on two runs in the third inning, though Piccini and Sam Felner added RBI singles in the home half of the inning to keep it a one-run game. McManamon’s home run tied the game at seven runs apiece in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the teams would still trade the lead a number of times until the late innings. Felner briefly put the Golden Eagles ahead 8-7 with an RBI single to left field, but Brett Beith’s two-run single in the top of the seventh inning gave the Nittany Lions a 10-9 advantage.
Clarion scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Cole Knable, with Pitzer scoring Daren Byers on an RBI double and Felner plating Pitzer on a sacrifice fly. That gave Clarion an 11-10 lead, and the Golden Eagles tacked on five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Isaac Schleich a significant lead. The reliever – who picked up the win with four innings of action – allowed two runs in the top of the ninth inning, but he stranded the bases loaded by inducing Tyler Yough into a flyout to left field.
Five different Golden Eagles recorded multiple hits in the game, with Felner leading the charge at 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Hurtado drove in a trio of runs while Piccini and McManamon each accounted for two RBIs.
SOFTBALL
GANNON SWEEPS CAL
Gannon swept Cal (Pa.) by scores of 4-0 and 13-3 (5 innings).
Maggie Lenda (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois) allowed just three hits, all singles, while shutting down a Cal attack that had beaten her 8-3 on Monday. Josie Spano gave Lenda a bigger cushion in the top of the seventh, driving a pitch over the fence down the left field line for her fourth home run. Cranberry grad Andrea Watson was 3-for-3 and scored three runs, while Spano was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.
Gannon jumped to an early 6-0 lead with three runs in the first and second innings. annon’s 16-hit attack featured six players with multiple hits. Watson ended the doubleheader at 6-for-7 as she was 3-for-4 in the nightcap with two runs and two RBIs. Girman was also 3-for-4 and drove in five runs for the third time this season. Ashley Fox (Cowansville, Pa./Karns City), Ryan, Coffman, and Gfeller also had two hits with Ryan driving in two runs.
SLIPPERY ROCK SWEPT BY UPJ
The Slippery Rock University softball team dropped both games in its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division doubleheader against Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday at Kasnevich Field.
SRU was defeated 3-1 in game one before suffering a narrow 3-2 loss in its second contest of the day.
Slippery Rock was led over the doubleheader by Arielle Brown who was 3-for-7 with one RBI in addition to being SRU’s lone player to register a hit in each game.
GROVE CITY SWEEPS
The Grove City College softball team clinched a berth in next week’s six-team Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship Tournament by earning a 5-1 win Wednesday afternoon in the first game of a conference doubleheader at Washington & Jefferson. W&J took Game Two at Brooks Park, 5-2.
Junior pitcher and Clarion alum Kaitlyn Constantino fired a four-hitter for Grove City in the opener to earn her 10th win of the season. Constantino (10-6) struck out two and did not allow a walk in seven innings.
Grove City (19-14, 11-7 PAC) trailed 1-0 in the fourth inning but snatched the lead by scoring twice. Sophomore DP Brooke Brodie tied the game with a sacrifice fly that scored sophomore second baseman, Maci Linhart. Grove City took the lead when sophomore pinch runner Ella Krarup, Wilmington grad, scored on a groundout by senior shortstop Lexi Buck.
Linhart pushed the lead to 3-1 in the fifth inning by singling in junior left fielder Lauren McNeil (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian). The Wolverines then added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Sophomore third baseman Rachel Zona scored on a wild pitch in the sixth inning while Linhart crossed home in the seventh inning when junior catcher Emily Smyth cracked a double to center field.
Linhart paced Grove City by going 3 for 4. Zona tripled and singled while junior Erin Mulholland (Malvern, Pa./Delaware County Christian) doubled in the win.
Freshman center fielder and Clarion grad Noel Anthony and senior pitcher Janessa Dawson Wolverines in Game Two.
WESTMINSTER SWEEPS CHATHAM
Westminster beat Chatham by scores of 16-7 and 10-5.
In Game 1, Ashley Wire finished 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, five RBIs, four runs scored, and a stolen base. Senior first baseman Mackenzie Latess went 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly, four RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore catcher and DuBois Central Catholic grad Mia Meholick went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored.
In Game 2, Grove City High alum Junior Elizabeth Malczak ran her season record to 13-3 with the complete game win in game two. She allowed five runs (4 earned) on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Alexis Yates and Brooke Atkins both went 3-for-5. Yates had a triple, two RBIs, and a run scored while Atkins scored a pair of runs and stole a base. Latess went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Senior right fielder Emma Gurley had two hits, scored two runs and stole a base.
