Wilkes-Barre, PA – Beau Vardion picked up where he left off from last season with five hits for the Clarkson University Baseball team as the Golden Knights split their season-opening doubleheader against Muhlenberg, winning game one 7-3 and dropping the second contest 11-1 on Saturday at Bruggeworth Field.
The Golden Knights and Mules both went to 1-1 on the season. Clarkson is scheduled to take on Hamilton College next Saturday in a doubleheader and then remain there for a single contest against Oswego State on Sunday.
In the first three innings of the contest, Jacob Shirley allowed three base runners but each time pitched out of trouble by himself or relied upon his defense. He gave up a one-out walk in the first but struck out the next two hitter, and in the second he gave up a one-out triple, but again escaped with two strikeouts to end the threat. The third saw the inning end with a dazzling double play thanks to the quick hands of Aidan McGuire and Beau Vardion up the middle.
Meanwhile, the Knights posted three runs in that time. During Clarkson's second at bat, Beau Vardion singled and then moved up a base on CJ Kanick's infield knock between the third baseman and shortstop. CJ Cartier then followed with a double over the right fielder's head, plating Vardion. When the ball got away behind the plate, Kanick tried to add another score, but was just nipped at the dish on the relay. In the top of the third, James Mason drew a leadoff walk and then advanced to second on a passed ball, allowing David Harris's line drive up the middle to plate Mason. One batter later, Beau Vardion ripped a double to the wall, which sent Harris all the way around the bases to make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Muhlenberg trimmed the margin to one run. Matthew Lehberger went to right field for a single and then Thomas Pranzo got his fly ball up into the jet stream and the wind did enough to help it sneak over the wall for a two-run shot, making it 3-2. An inning later, the game was tied on Thomas Rorick's two-out triple which split the outfielders in right-center and gave Marius Haughton time to scamper around the bases from first. In the sixth, it appeared as if the Mules might pick up two more runs when Mason Mehling ripped a shot towards the left field corner, but James Mason laid out for a diving catch to end the frame.
Clarkson regained the advantage in the top of the seventh. Seth Albert reached on a walk and then flew around the bases on James Mason's shot to the left field gap to make it 4-3. A few batters later, Vardion doubled down the left field line to plate Mason, and then Vardion scored on a single to center by Kanick, putting the tally at 6-3. Clarkson picked up another run in the eighth when Seth Albert singled, stole second, and then easily scored on Mason's double to right-center.
Nathan Hartley and Ryan Petrie combined to set the Mules down scoreless over the final three innings to close out the win. Hartley pitched five innings of relief for Jacob Shirley, who tossed the first three frames. They had nearly identical numbers, each allowing five hits and striking out four, though Hartley allowed one run to Shirley's two. Petrie threw a scoreless ninth.
Vardion finished game one with a 3-for-5 effort and doubled twice, while Mason was 2-for-4 with two doubles. CJ Kanick also had a pair of hits and Seth Albert reached three times with a hit and two walks.
Game two saw each team score a run in the first inning. For Clarkson, Seth Albert led off with a double and then moved on a fly out to right. Joe Figliolino followed with a single to center to put Clarkson up 1-0. The Mules came back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the frame. A two-out walk to Matthew Lehberger got things started and a single by Thomas Pranzo put runners on the corners. Mike Carcich delivered a single that got through the right side of the infield to plate Lehberger and tie the game 1-1.
Muhlenberg added a pair of runs in the bottom of the third on a two-out double down the right field line from Carcich, putting the Mules up for the first time in the doubleheader. They would stay up in the fourth when Marty Edson got things going by reaching on a hit by pitch. He then advanced to second on a steal, to third on an infield single, and then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1. After a change of pitchers, a one-out bases loaded walk forced in another run and another wild pitch plated a sixth run for Muhlenberg. With two outs in the frame, Carcich delivered again, this time hitting a single to left to score two more runs, his fourth and fifth runs batted in for the game.
The Mules picked up another run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a line drive hit to right center from Sean Habeeb, with his base knock plating Jason Hughes, who had opened the inning by reaching on a hit by pitch then taking second on a wild pitch and advancing to third on a fly out to right. A Thomas Rodrick double in the bottom of the eighth would plate two more runs for the home team on the scoreboard while accounting for the final runs of the afternoon and the 11-1 final.
Vardion and Cartier both led the Knights at the plate in game two with two hits apiece while six others added a hit apiece to account for the 10 total. Christian Barley would receive the only free pass while Clarkson would finish with 11 runners left on base to just six for the Mules.
Dan Horowitz would be credited with the loss on the mound surrendering five hits and six earned runs over 3 and ⅓ innings. Chase Fisher would finish the fourth on the mound before Jason McGee, Cameron Barbulean and Patrick Foulis all pitched at least one inning in relief. Lule Foley received the win for Muhlenberg, going four innings while giving up six hits and striking out three.
