Lakeland, FL – Despite a four-run first inning, the Clarkson University Baseball team failed to outslug Eastern Nazarene College Sunday morning, falling to the Lions 14-9.

The Golden Knights, who dropped to 1-2, were coming off a tough doubleheader that didn’t end until 11 pm the previous day, but quickly found their stroke Sunday morning against the Lions, as Brady Torbitt (Fulton, NY) hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. A single up the middle from Chris Falteisek (Baldwinsville, NY) drove in another run four batters later as Clarkson jumped out to a 4-0 lead. However, Eastern Nazarene’s offense was up to task, scoring twice in the second, three times in the third, and once in the fifth for a 6-4 advantage.

Sophomore Jerry Coleman (Potsdam, NY) singled home a run in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to one run, but again the Lions had offense to spare with two runs in the seventh and six in the eighth inning to take a 14-5 edge going into the bottom of the eight inning. With back-to-back doubles from Matt Curry (Richland, NY) and a Torbitt, Clarkson crawled back to within five runs at 14-9, but the final inning did not produce any more runs.

Coleman finished 4-for-6 in the game with an RBI, while Torbitt drove home four runs with a 2-for-4 performance. Matt Curry also added a pair of runs and drove in two while going 1-for-3. David Kinney (Mexico, NY) went 2-for-4 as well. Vinnie Baldwin (Catskill, NY) had the start for the Knights and was saddled with the loss. Bryan Lajeunesse (Watervliet, NY) and Steve Magovney (Watertown, NY) also pitched two-plus innings or relief for the Knights.