MANSFIELD – The Mountaineer defense held Clarion at bay as Mansfield took home a 7-3 victory in the PSAC Central opening doubleheader on Saturday at Helen Lutes Field.
 
In game one, Mansfield (3-5, 1-1 PSAC Central) came as close as third but neither team would plate a runner until the third inning. Clarion's (4-14, 1-1 PSAC Central) Taylor Nonnenburg singled to first base but Aryn Boyer would score on the Mounties only error of the day.
 
Mansfield put runners in scoring position in the second, fourth, and fifth innings but could not push a runner across until the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Joelle Snyder sacrificed herself sending Melanie Taylor home to break Gossard's shutout bid.
 
Anastasia Hester and Casey Pearce led the offense with two hits while Rachael Sterner compiled 12 putouts.
 
Gossard earned the complete game win, scattering 10 hits and striking out three.
 
The Mountaineers left seven runners stranded in the loss.
 
The Mountaineers ended the day with a bang, scoring seven runs off of 11 hits in the second game. Deshae Jones had a perfect game, going three-for-three at the plate with a run and an RBI.
 
The Eagles put two on base early in the second but the Mountaineers rallied back loading the bases twice in the bottom of the third. Jones opened the hit parade singling to center field and putting her sister Devin Jones in scoring position. Snyder's next bunt would drop dead just two feet in front of the plate to load the bases for the first time.
 
Alli McGovern sent Devin home in a fielder's choice RBI before senior Koryn Wickwire stepped to the plate. The catcher placed a deep, three-RBI double into right field before advancing on a throwing error plating everyone on base to lead 5-2.
 
The Mountaineers would continue their productivity into the fifth inning as the Jones' would each send a runner across the plate on singles to right field.
 
Clarion made a last great effort to turn their luck around as Cassidy Runyan homered through right field, but a third run in the sixth is as close as they'd come to the Mountaineers. Mansfield walked away with its third win of the season.
 
Sierra Storm moves to 2-1 in the circle on the complete-game triumph. The senior struck out six batters with eight hits and two walks in her seven innings of work.
 
Snyder and Sterner had two hits while Wickwire, Sterner, and Anastasia Hester each doubled in game two.
 
The Mountaineers are back in action on Monday in a make-up game at East Stroudsburg. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.