Auburndale, Fla. – Clark improved its record to an impressive 5-1 following a doubleheader sweep over Mount Union (Ohio) College on Monday morning at Lake Myrtle Park.
The Cougars rallied with two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to claim a 7-6 win in the opener then secured a 4-2 win in the nightcap.
In the day's first game, Clark mustered only five hits but took advantage of some key Raider miscues to rally for the victory.
Down 2-0, the Cougars scored three runs in the top of the third when Scott Hollingsworth (Tilton, N.H.) cleared the bases with a double to left center.
Mount Union closed the gap in the bottom of the frame when Greg Ferrell tripled off of Clark starter Benjamin Seel (Belgrade, Maine), scoring Matt Tracey who had a one-out single.
The Raiders then jumped ahead in the fourth when Tyler Wood crushed a two-run homer to left field, making the score 4-3.
After the first three batters reached in the fifth for Mount Union, Michael Lamothe (Bellingham, Mass.) relieved Seel and when the dust cleared the Raiders were ahead 6-3.
Clark answered back in the sixth with a pair of runs – the first coming on an error and the other on an RBI single from Shawn Lamothe (Bellingham, Mass.) – bringing the game to 6-5.
In the top of the seventh, the Cougars got a two runs without getting a hit. Freshman pinch hitter Justin Sharkey (Lynn, Mass.) led off the inning and was promptly plunked by reliever Cory Douglass.
Matthew Bohl (Amherst, Mass.) sacrificed pinch runner Jeremy Gerber (Amherst, Mass.) to second with one out. After Peter Lewis (Gardiner, Maine) struck out, Hollingsworth drew a two out walk and he and Gerber then advanced to second and third following a wild pitch.
Another wild pitch evened the game with Gerber crossing the dish and then Hollingsworth put Clark ahead on a passed ball.
Michael Lamothe, who tossed three innings of one hit relief, closed out the Raiders in the seventh to pick up his first win of the season.
In the second game, the Cougars scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the fourth inning. An RBI single by Mitchell DeLorenzo (Berlin, Conn.) was followed by a two-run single from Shawn Lamothe, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead. Clark added another run in the inning when Kevin Kopec (Katonah, N.Y.) scored on a passed ball.
Nickolas Winchell (Scituate, R.I.) went the first 4.1 innings giving up two runs in the top of the fifth before he was relieved by Phillip Bertocci (Thomaston, Maine), who was extremely effective, retiring seven of the nine batters he faced including getting a game-ending double play to earn his second win of the season.
The Cougars, who again only had five hits, got two from Gerber and one each from Shawn Lamothe, DeLorenzo and freshman Brian Sullivan (Auburn, Mass.).
Clark is now off until Thursday, when they face Emerson College beginning at 1:00 p.m.