In the first two games of the season, the Clarkson University Baseball team split a doubleheader with Rowan on Friday afternoon at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Florida.

Clarkson opens its campaign at 1-1 while Rowan is now 4-4 on the young season.

In the first game, errors doomed the Golden Knights. Clarkson took the lead on their first at-bats of the season. Anthony Padrazo led the year off with a walk and was able to score when a hard hit ball by Paddy Defino led to a Rowan error.

The slim lead stood for the first four innings as starting pitcher Ian Castle did not allow a hit during that time. However, after Castle retired the first two batters of the fifth inning, Rowan tallied a four-run rally on two hits and two costly Clarkson errors. The Profs added two more runs in the seventh inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs. A passed ball scored one run and then another error allowed Rowan to push across a sixth run.

Clarkson got one run back in the bottom of the seventh. Padrazo once again opened the inning with a walk and a two out single by Dom Pirro scored Padrazo. That was all the Golden Knights scored though and the game finished 6-2.

Castle threw five innings, allowing four runs on three hits and four walks to go with four strikeouts. Andrew Smith threw the final two frames, giving up two runs on two hits with one walk and one punch-out. Padrazo, Pirro, and Ben Knauf combined for the three hits for Clarkson with Pirro and Defino notching the RBIs.

In the second game, Clarkson once again jumped out to the lead in the first inning. Two ringing singles in a row put Padrazo and Chris Miller on first and second base to open the game and then Greg Jasek followed with a hit of his own to plate Padrazo.

Rowan tied the game at one apiece in the fourth inning. Hughes drove a pitch into the right center field gap for a triple and then was able to score on a Clarkson throwing error.

The two teams were scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings before Clarkson regained the lead in the top of the seventh. Connor Dietrich opened the inning with a walk and then was moved over by a Padrazo bunt. After Rowan intentionally walked Miller, Jasek hit a long fly ball to right field that advanced Dietrich to third base. With two outs, Pirro was able to turn on a pitch and double down the third base line, scoring Dietrich and Miller.

Clarkson ended up needing both runs. In the bottom of the seventh, Rowan put its first two runners on through walks and then moved them to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. A groundout to Jasek scored one run and left another on third base with two outs, but the next batter hit a ground ball back to pitcher Ted Wilson who threw to first for the final out of the game.

Wilson finished with a seven inning complete game, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks, and struck out two batters. Miller had a pair of hits, including a double.

Clarkson will return to action tomorrow afternoon when the Green and Gold play a doubleheader with SUNY Brockport.