wetherholt hr
4
Clarion CLAR-B 9-23, 4-11 PSAC
5
Winner Gannon GAN-B 19-10, 10-5 PSAC
Clarion CLAR-B
9-23, 4-11 PSAC
4
Final
5
Gannon GAN-B
19-10, 10-5 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Clarion CLAR-B 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 4 5 2
Gannon GAN-B 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 2 5 9 2

W: Reitebach, Joe (1-1) L: B. Grenet (1-4)

5
Winner Clarion CLAR-B 10-23, 5-11 PSAC
4
Gannon GAN-B 19-11, 10-6 PSAC
Winner
Clarion CLAR-B
10-23, 5-11 PSAC
5
Final
4
Gannon GAN-B
19-11, 10-6 PSAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Clarion CLAR-B 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 5 8 0
Gannon GAN-B 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 7 0

W: B. Layton (3-2) L: Visnesky, Benjamin (2-2) S: R. Shafer (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Takes Three of Four from Clarion Thanks to Eighth Inning Rally in Game One

ERIE, Pa. -- The Gannon baseball team remained in the thick of the PSAC West playoff chase with a split of Saturday's doubleheader at McConnell Family Stadium. Both games ended at 5-4, with Gannon rallying for the win in eight innings in game number one before the Golden Knights came up just short by the same score of 5-4 in game number two. The Golden Knights scored four runs in the seventh inning but could not push across the tying run.

Along with a sweep of the Golden Eagles on Friday, Gannon won three of the four games with Clarion and is now 19-11 overall and 10-6 in the PSAC West. Clarion is 10-23 and 5-11, respectively.

The Golden Knights would hit back-to-back home runs in both games. In the opener, Ian Hess (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and Brandon Wetherholt (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) went deep on consecutive pitches in the third inning. Gannon's four-run seventh inning rally in game number two was fueled by back-to-back home runs by Jared Bielanin (Erie, Pa./McDowell) and Trey Zeroski (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny).
Hess' long ball was his seventh of the season to tie him for the team lead with Ryan Kalbfus (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield). He now has 25 career home runs, two shy of the school record of 27 held by Nate Cardy.

Gannon returns to action on Friday, April 22, starting a key four-game series against Seton Hill. The first two games are set for McConnell Family Stadium before the two teams head to Greensburg, Pa. for a doubleheader at Seton Hill. The next day.

GAME 1 – Gannon 5, Clarion 4 (8 innings)
The Golden Knights scored twice in the bottom of the eight inning after Clarion had taken advantage of a Gannon error in the top of the frame to go on top 4-3. Ryan Kalbfus (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) led off the bottom of the eighth with a hard grounder up the middle that the shortstop knocked down but could not field cleanly. After Kalbfus stole second, Jorge Mejia (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Colegio San Jose) followed with a high fly ball in shallow right field that was misplayed for a two-base error, with Kalfbus holding at third. Luke Callahan (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon) sent a single through the right side to tie the game at four. Trey Zeroski (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) followed with a ground ball through the left side to drive home Mejia with the winning runs. Clarion took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and scored another run in the third for a 2-0 advantage. After that, redshirt junior Jacob Visha (Cleveland, Ohio/Trinity) settled down to dominate the Golden Eagles. The bats, meanwhile, came alive in the bottom of the fourth as Ian Hess (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and Brandon Wetherholt (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) hit home runs on back-to-back pitches. Hess' seventh home run of the season traveled over 400 feet over the left field fence. Wetherholt followed on the very next pitch with a home run to right center, his fifth long ball of the year. The Golden Knights finally gained the lead in the bottom of the fifth without the benefit of a hit. Cameron Vozel (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) and Miguel Vega (Florida, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy) walked to start the inning. They moved up on a wild pitch, and with one out Vozel scored on a groundout to second by Wetherholt. The score remained that way through six innings as Visha would finish with a career-high 11 strikeouts. The left hander allowed four hits and walked just one. Jaret Boyer (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington) came in to start the seventh inning, but Clarion took advantage of a pair of walks to push across the tying run on a sacrifice fly. Joseph Reitebach (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) came in to get the final out of the seventh inning. Vozel led off the bottom of the seventh with base hit but would get no further than second. Clarion took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning thanks to another leadoff walk, which eventually came around to score on a throwing error with two outs. That set the stage for the Gannon rally. Reitebach picked up the win to even his record at 1-1. Vozel reached base on all four plate appearances with a pair of singles and two walks. Mejia was 2-for-4, while Zeroski was on base three times with a hit, a walk, and a hit by pitch.

GAME 2 – Clarion 5, Gannon 4
Clarion earned a split of the doubleheader thanks to a strong pitching performance by Bryan Layton, but the Golden Knights almost pulled off a miraculous comeback in the seventh inning. Thanks to a three-run sixth inning, Clarion held a 5-0 lead entering the bottom of the seventh. Layton had held the Golden Knights to just three hits until that point, and had retired 11 in a row into the sixth inning.  Ryan Kalbfus (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) began the seventh with a single through the left side, but the next batter struck out. Pinch-hitter Jared Bielanin (Erie, Pa./McDowell) got the Golden Knights on the board with a long home run to left center, his second home run of the year. For the second time on the day Gannon got back-to-back home runs as Trey Zeroski (Clinton, Pa./West Allegheny) followed with his second home run of the season, a solo shot to left. Connor Rakow (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) walked and when Brandan Rea (Washington, Pa./Canon-McMillan) hit a single to left field, the tying run was at the plate. That signaled the exit of Layton, with Reilly Shafer relieving for Clarion. He walked the first batter he faced, Miguel Vega (Florida, Puerto Rico/Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy), to load the bases. Ian Hess (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) hit a blooper to right field that Daren Byers made a diving catch on. Rakow scored on th play as Gannon closed to 5-4 on the sacrifice fly. Brandon Wetherholt (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) flew out to left to end the game. Zeroski and Kalbfus were both 2-for-3 at the plate, while Rakow reached twice on a single and a walk.           
 
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