WRESTLING
WILLIAMSPORT — Sophomore 165-pounder Nolan Barger (Clearfield) cracked two of Lycoming’s all-time lists with his All-American finish at the NCAA Division III Championships in Hershey’s Giant Center last weekend.
Five wins in six matches earned him third place as the No. 6 seed and a 36-8 record, which ties him for fifth place for single-season wins in program history.
A pair of first-minute falls in a 4-0 run through the wrestlebacks raised his season total to 11, tied for 10th-place in the Warrior record book.
Barger, who won 19 of his last 20 bouts, also had three technical falls and six major decisions, including a 12-2 win in the consolation finals that avenged a 3-2 quarterfinal loss to unseeded Sam Guidi (43-6) of Waynesburg.
Bonus wins enabled Barger to account for 17.5 of Lycoming’s 18.5 points . Senior 197-pounder Johnathan Secor earned the other one as the Warriors wound up 21st for their best finish since placing 15th in 2008.
Barger, the Mideast Region champion, was one of three qualifiers to place higher than their seeds.
No. 2 Farai Sewera (29-2) of Coe (Ia.) beat No. 4 Tyler Schneider (23-6) of Wisconsin-LaCross 9-4 for the title.
No. 1 Andrew Steiert (18-6) of Wartburg (Ia.) was only other seed to place, finishing sixth after losing 6-3 to Barger in the wrestleback semifinals.
Placewinners who were unseeded included Eric Hensel (22-14) of Augsburg (Minn.), fifth; Ethan Farmer (17-5) of Wabash (Ill.), seventh, and Jesse Bader (36-7) of Hunter (N.Y.), eighth.
On Monday, Barger was named an NCAA Division III Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, helping Lycoming to be honored as one of the Division III All-Academic Top 30 teams.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must carry a Grade-Point Average better than 3.20 and meet one of three criteria: qualify for the NCAA Championships, place in an NCAA Regional or win more than 66 percent of his matches.
Barger, whose major is undeclared, received Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference All-Academic Team and Middle Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll recognition earlier this year.
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BASEBALL
AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Freshman second baseman Jarrett Fulmer (Clearfield) hiked his average to .333 with five hits, two of them doubles, as Penn State Altoona ended its spring trip by winning three of six games in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
He singled and doubled in the Lions’ 5-4 victory over Cazenovia (N.Y.) College at Lake Myrtle Park Tuesday, doubled and scored in an 8-5 loss to Suffolk (Mass.) at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg Thursday, scored two runs after singling and being hit by a pitch in a 9-2 win over SUNY Canton at the Frostproof Sports Complex Friday and singled in a 4-1 loss to Beloit (Wis.) at Lake Bonny Park in Lakeland Saturday.
In the second game against SUNY Canton, Fulmer pinch-hit in the bottom of the seventh inning and drew a bases-loaded walk to force in the tying run. Jack Cleary then singled to give the Lions a 3-2 win.
Fulmer, tied for fourth in hitting on the team, has eight hits and has scored five runs for the Lions, who were 5-5 in Florida and entered this week 5-6.
Sophomore pitcher Kurtis Krise (Clearfield) made one relief appearance, working three-plus innings against Suffolk.
The right-hander was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs, all earned, on five hits. He issued one walk.
In two outings, Krise has pitched 4.1 innings with one strikeout and two walks. He’s allowed seven hits and seven runs, two of them unearned.
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WASHINGTON, Pa. — Senior second baseman/designated hitter Derek Danver (Clearfield) had one single and was hit by a pitch in both games of Clarion’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division doubleheader against Indiana University of Pennsylvania at Consol Energy Park Saturday.
The Golden Eagles lost their conference openers 3-1 and 4-1, falling to 1-6 overall.
Danver is hitting .286 (6-for-21) with one run batted in.
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SOFTBALL
WINCHESTER, Va. — Freshman shortstop Megan Vanderburgh (Clearfield) was limited to one hit in four games last week but still leads Shenandoah in hitting with a .313 average.
The Hornets (0-6) suffered 11-3 and 15-0 Mercy Rule losses at Lynchburg (Va.) in their Old Dominion Athletic Conference openers on Monday, Mar. 9, and were swept by Mary Washington (Va.) 4-3 and 10-5 at Battleground Field in Fredericksburg Sunday.
Vanderburgh singled, recorded her first stolen base and scored her first run for the Hornets in the Mary Washington nightcap.
She is 5-for-16 with one double and one run batted in. Her .421 on-base average also leads the team.
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CLERMONT, Fla. — Freshman right-handed pitcher Rachel Hoffman (Clearfield) got two starts for Pitt-Johnstown last week in the Dot Richardson Spring Games at the National Spring Training Center.
She gave up six hits and five earned runs with one strikeout and two walks in three innings of Tuesday’s 10-2 loss to West Liberty (W.Va.) at Hancock Field 4.
Against Trinity (Ill.) Christian at Foundation Field in Winter Garden Thursday, Hoffman was the tough-luck loser as an unearned run was the difference in the 2-1 final. She went the distance and surrendered only four hits while fanning six and walking three.
The first-year Mountain Cats were swept in all three twinbills and are 0-8.
Hoffman (0-3) has pitched 16 innings in three starts with 11 strikeouts and six walks. She has given up 21 hits and 14 runs. Her earned run average is 5.25.