BASEBALL
ERIE — Senior second baseman/designated hitter Derek Danver (Clearfield) collected four hits in a pair of weekend Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division doubleheaders against undefeated Mercyhurst to take the lead among Clarion hitters with a .320 average.
Because of home field conditions at the Memorial Stadium Complex, the Golden Eagles traveled to the Mercyhurst Field Friday and were handed 13-2 and 5-4 setbacks by the Lakers, who were ranked third in the Atlantic Region by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Two of Danver’s hits and one of his two runs batted in came in the one-run defeat.
He doubled for his extra base hit in the opener Saturday, when Mercyhurst (14-0) padded its division-leading record to 6-0 with 9-3 and 9-0 wins.
Danver is off to a 10-for-31 start with four RBIs. He’s drawn six walks and been hit twice for an on-base average of .460 that also tops the Golden Eagles.
Clarion (1-10) is winless in six PSAC-West games.
* * * * *
ALTOONA — Freshman second baseman Jarrett Fulmer (Clearfield) and his Penn State Altoona teammates ended their spring trip in disappointing fashion against two Virginia opponents last week.
The Lions lost 3-1 and 6-2 to No. 14-ranked Shenandoah (6-2) at Winchester on Monday, March 15, and 10-9 to the University of Mary Washington (9-2) at Fredericksburg the next afternoon.
Fulmer wore the collar in nine at-bats for the Lions, who will take a 5-9 record into the start of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference season.
In 11 games, Fulmer is hitting .242 (8-for-33) with three runs batted in and five runs scored.
* * * * * * * * * *
SOFTBALL
WINDBER — Freshman pitcher/outfielder Rachel Hoffman (Clearfield) contributed a complete-game victory to Pitt-Johnstown’s historic twinbill sweep of Clarion at the Iron Horse Sports Complex Saturday night.
In their home debut, the Mountain Cats recorded the first wins of their inaugural season after eight losses, 5-4 in nine innings and 3-2, in their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action.
Hoffman scattered eight hits in the second game to notch her initial win in four starts. The right-hander logged four strikeouts, issued two walks and hit two Golden Eagles.
At the plate, Hoffman clubbed a triple for her first hit in nine official at-bats and received a walk.
She had a save opportunity in the opener, but a Mountain Cat throwing error in the seventh inning gave Clarion three unearned runs, creating a 4-4 tie. Hoffman allowed two hits and two walks in that frame.
Hoffman has a team-best 4.08 earned run average for 24 innings in five appearances. She’s given up 31 hits and 19 runs while fanning 16 and walking nine.
* * * * *
WINCHESTER, Va. — Freshman shortstop Megan Vanderburgh (Clearfield) singled in each of Shenandoah’s four doubleheaders last week, but her average dipped to .214.
The Hornets won three of their four Old Dominion Athletic Conference road games, sweeping Bridgewater (Va.) 2-0 and 7-4 in eight innings Wednesday and splitting with Randolph-Macon (Va.) Sunday, winning 4-3 after losing 9-1 in five innings.
Shenandoah (4-10) also split with Gettysburg at Bridgewater Saturday, eking out a 7-6 victory before falling 10-0 in five innings, and was swept by No. 22-ranked Christopher Newport (Va.) 6-0 and 3-2 at Ashland Sunday.
Vanderburgh, who has started every game at short, is 9-for-42 with one double and one RBI.
* * * * * * * * * *
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
CALIFORNIA, Pa. — Sophomore Jessica Shomo (Clearfield) of Clarion placed 15th in the 100-meter dash and ran the first leg for the Golden Eagle 400 relay team that placed fourth in the California Early Bird Meet at Adamson Stadium Saturday.
She crossed the finish line in 13.10 seconds in the individual event that attracted 46 sprinters.
The relay foursome’s time was 50.33 seconds.
* * * * *
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Sophomore Rebecca Johnson (Curwensville) of St. Francis (Pa.) placed 31st in the 3,000-meter run with an 11:54.57 time at the season-opening Wake Forest Open in Kentner Stadium Saturday.
