NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. – The D'Youville University baseball team opened their season on Friday with a doubleheader sweep of Clarion University at Sal Maglie Stadium.
 
D'Youville 9, Clarion 5
Chris Auclair (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) got the start for the Saints in game one, retiring the side with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the first.The Saints had action on the bases in the bottom of the second after a pair of singles from Jeremy Glinski (Sloan, N.Y.) and Alec Boucher (Essex, Ontario), but a flyout from Craig Oliver (Fredericton, New Brunswick) stranded them both.

Auclair made quick work of the Golden Eagles in the top of the third, striking out two batters. In the bottom of the inning, D'Youville was threatening to score once again after Alex Dzimian (Lakeview, N.Y.) singled to second base and Billy Morris (Lancaster, N.Y.) moved him into scoring position with a single to center. However, Jon Simpson (Grand Island, N.Y.) struck out swinging to end the inning as the game remained scoreless.

Auclair sent Clarion down in order again, striking out two more batters, and the Golden Eagles were still looking for their first hit after four innings. The Saints took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the fourth after Glinski blasted a ball over the center field fence for his first homer of the season. Two batters later, Oliver almost left the yard too, hitting one to the warning track for a two-out triple.

The Golden Eagles finally got to Auclair in the top of the fifth. After walking the leadoff batter, a triple and a double put Clarion in front 2-1. This ended Auclair's day after 4.2 innings pitched and five strikeouts. Blaise Kolbert (Lancaster, N.Y.) came in to relieve Auclair, and induced a groundout to end the inning. The Saints would strike right back in the bottom half of the inning. After Ethan Hammond (Oakville, Ontario) drew a walk to lead off the inning, Simpson deposited one over the left field fence for his first home run of the season and put D'Youville back in front, 3-2. Glinski followed with a double, and Nick DiCarlo (Lewiston, N.Y.) drove him in with a triple to center to extend the lead to 4-2.

After Clarion cut the Saints' lead to 4-3 in the top of the sixth, DYU fired back in the bottom half. After Morris drew a bases loaded walk to make it 5-3, Simpson clobbered his second homer of the day, this time a grand slam, to make it 9-3.

Kolbert would retire the Golden Eagles in the top of the seventh without surrendering a run and earned his first win of the season.
 
D'Youville 9, Clarion 1
Bryce Hediger (Chaffee, N.Y.) got the ball for the Saints in game two. Despite walking two Golden Eagles in the top of the first, Hediger struck out two and got out of it without allowing a run.

D'Youville got on the board in the bottom of the second. Oliver walked to start the inning and Hunter Nowak (Hamburg, N.Y.) singled to left, moving Oliver to third. Hammond drove in Oliver with a sacrficie fly to deep center to make it 1-0 Saints.

Hediger continued to cruise through the Clarion order, striking out the side in the top of the third. DYU would push across five runs in the bottom of the inning. A balk brought in the second run of the game and Oliver was plunked to make it 3-0. Then, Jake Hollins (Orchard Park, N.Y.) cleared the bases with a double down the right field line to give DYU a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Saints weren't done. After loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth thanks to walks from Nowak and Hammond and a single from Dzimian, Simpson stayed hot, clearing the bases with a double to make it 9-0.

Mihir Manerikar (Missisauga, Ontario) relieved Hediger in the top of the sixth inning and recorded his first collegiate strikeout. Hediger gave up only one hit and struck out five batters in five innings, earning the win.
 
The Saints will be back in action on February 23, when they face Mercyhurst University at 6:00 p.m. in Glenville, West Virginia.