CLEARFIELD — Some of the best players to wear Clearfield Area High School uniforms the last 50 years showcased their talent in the Second Annual Bison Baseball Alumni Game Saturday afternoon at the Lawrence Township Rec Park Field, and the four hours of action was highlighted by good pitching, solid hitting and several defensive gems.
Because of the large turnout, 52 players in all, the format again was changed to games for \”Oldtimers\” and \”Youngsters,\” the latter for graduates from 1987 through 2002, and the Red teams were able to gloat after winning both contests in a repeat of last year\’s competition.
Following player introductions by official scorekeeper Ed Yeager (\’75), Bison Baseball Alumni Committee chairman and assistant coach Donnie Shimmel (\’84) presented a commemorative baseball to Sid Lansberry (\’64) for his 500th win as Clearfield Area High School head coach. Lansberry reached the milestone when his 35th Bison team defeated host St. Marys 16-3 in the District 9 Class AAA semifinal May 22.
The Danver brothers got the Black Team off to a 2-0 start in the first inning of the Oldtimers Game, Ken \”Buck\” (\’71) with a single for a run batted in and Tom \”Bump\” (\’82) with a sacrifice fly off Gary Rowles (\’82).
A pair of family acts were involved in a second-inning double play. Red Team shortstop Scott Dunlap (\’81) grabbed a hard grounder hit by Todd Vanderburgh (\’84), tagged Chuck Robison (\’64) and flipped the ball to father Merrill Dunlap (\’57) to force Robison\’s son Clint (\’97).
In the bottom of the inning, the Red Team got a run off Dennis Bowman (\’86) when Logan Cramer III (\’81) whacked a double to deep left and scored easily on Scott Dunlap\’s single to left. Dunlap was cut down trying to stretch the hit into a double on a dandy relay from Tom Danver to shortstop Vanderburgh to Scott Casteel (\’81).
Buck Danver came through with another RBI-single for the Black Team in the top of the third, but the Red Team countered with four runs on two walks, and two errors around a key hit by Jeff Norris (\’76). Jack Morris (\’64) got a hustle award for scoring from first, though he stumbled and tumbled across the plate. The Black Team wanted him sent back to third because their relay hit the pitcher\’s screen. Their protest fell on deaf ears.
The Red Team put the game on ice in the fourth when Huntingdon Area High School Coach Anthony Biviano (\’67) singled, Chris Dixon (\’87) cranked a home run to left off former teammate Bowman and Scott Dunlap tacked on an RBI-double.
In the fifth, Bowman singled in a run off Tom Kirsch (\’70), who fed the Black Team his \”gravity\” sinker for three innings to notch the save for Rowles in the 8-4 victory.
Catcher Don Beauseigneur (\’80) was named Most Valuable Player for the Red Team, while Norris was the choice for the Gold Glove Award for his play in center field and Dixon was selected Rookie of the Year, a new award.
Black Team award winners were the rubber-armed Bowman, MVP for pitching all six innings and also contributing a pair of hits; Vanderburgh, Gold Glove for a busy day at short, and Buck Danver, who probably will rank as the oldest Rookie for a long time.
Larry Peacock (\’65) and Clint Robison also had two hits apiece for the Black Team.
Managers were Scott Dunlap for the winners and Ward Fink, with a little help from Lansberry, for the losers.
The Youngsters Game was a tad more serious and featured excellent pitching by the Red Team. MVP Mike Davidson (\’02), a late recruit by Manager Ben Timko (\’92), racked up eight strikeouts in four innings and surrendered only one hit. Jason \”Buzz\” Moore (\’99) allowed two hits in two scoreless frames to pick up the win. Gary Welker (\’94) faced only three batters in closing out the Black Team in the seventh.
The lone hit off Davidson was a long home run to left center by Black Team MVP Steve Terry (\’89) after two infield miscues in the first inning.
Rookie of the Year Brian Robison (\’87) protected the lead in his three innings, yielding three hits and one run, that coming in the third on singles by Frank Hipps Jr. (\’90) and Timko (\’92) and a wild pitch.
Todd Fedder (\’91) relieved Robison and breezed through the fourth inning, but Rookie of the Year Andy Bloom (\’97) greeted him the fifth with a home run to deep left field. After a single by Dave Davis (\’92) and a walk, Fedder departed because of a sore shoulder. Black Team manager Brian Barr summoned Terry from third base to relieve, and before he got out of the inning, the Red Team had grabbed a 5-3 lead on RBI-groundouts by Aaron Elensky (\’94) and Ryan Briskar (\’99) and an RBI-double by Moore.
Chris Rogerson (\’92) iced it for the Red Team in the sixth with a three-run homer to deep left that set the final at 8-3.
The Gold Glove Awards went to the first basemen, Robison for the Red Team and Chris Peacock (\’91) for the Black Team.
EXTRA INNINGS — The umpires were Bill Bacharach (\’70) behind the plate for both games, Al Fricke (\’73) on the bases for the Oldtimers Game and Garry \”Boats\” Shirey (\’76) on the bases for the Youngsters Game… With statistics and notes provided mostly by Lansberry, announcer Pat \”Planet P\” Pallo (\’86) kept everybody informed about the hitters and any defensive changes, never passing up an opportunity to interject humorous anecdotes… A great banner crafted by Ron Rea was hung on the fence behind home plate… Scott Dunlap created an well-informative, well-designed and attractive program for the participants and fans… Megan Liptak, a junior at Clearfield Area High School, sang a stirring rendition of the National Anthem. Jack Morris is her grandfather… A dinner prepared by Jeff Kavelak was served to participants and guests at the post-game party at Adventure Park… All proceeds go to the Clearfield Baseball Association, and the alumni game committee — Shimmel, Lansberry, Kavelak, Barr, Cramer — extend thanks to all players, contributors and sponsors… The Third Annual Bison Baseball Alumni Game is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007.