CLEARFIELD – Stepping into the batter\’s box with wood bats was a learning experience, but a disappointing one, for the Clearfield American Legion Post No. 6 baseball team in the Bellefonte Showdown XXVI this weekend.
The Chiefs were unable to crack the win column in the Mid-Atlantic Wood Bat Summer Showcase again Saturday, falling 3-1 to the Kiski Baseball Club and 5-1 to Laurel, Md., Legion Post No. 60 at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field.
Because of lightning, the nightcap was delayed 30 minutes in the bottom of the fifth inning and then halted after Laurel relief pitcher Pat McNamara notched the one needed to make the game official.
Clearfield had only seven hits in the two games, 19 for the tourney.
\”The wooden bats, I think, affected us,\” manager Sid Lansberry said after the Chiefs slipped to 5-9. \”Ground balls weren\’t going through the infield, and we weren\’t getting any gap shots.
\”It\’s no fun to lose four games, but I think we were competitive. We were in all four games. We just didn\’t hit with guys on base.\”
In 27 innings, the Chiefs never had back-to-back hits and managed more than one hit in only two frames as they discovered why one of baseball\’s oldest axioms is good pitching will beat good hitting almost every time.
They were held to four hits by Kiski\’s Mike Pereslucha and Vince Donatelli and three hits by Laurel\’s Rob Medoff and McNamara.
Clearfield got the jump on Kiski (11-9) in the first inning when Jarrin Campman walked, Parker Herrington sacrificed and Jeremy Grove pounced a double into the left field corner.
The Chiefs stranded five runners in two innings against Pereslucha, who pitched some for Allegheny College this spring, but they couldn\’t solve Donatelli over the last five.
Campman had the only two hits off him, helping Clearfield get the tying runs aboard with two outs in the fifth and seventh because of walks. Both times, Donatelli snuffed out the Chiefs\’ hopes with strikeouts to chalk up the win.
Kiski, which lost 4-2 to the host Altoona Legion and 7-3 to the Ohio Thunder Friday, knotted the count in the fourth on Shawn Vogel\’s sharply-hit double off diving third baseman Derek Danver\’s glove and two bunts, Corey Stascak executing the suicide squeeze.
Consecutive hits by Shane Hall, Frank Brank on a bunt and Chris Vocke produce the game-winner against Grove in the fifth. When the left-hander from Reynoldsville walked Nate Rigatti, Lansberry called on Corey Bookhamer.
His high throw to the plate on Donatelli\’s comebacker gave Kiski its insurance marker, but the Chiefs\’ southpaw kept it close with a strikeout and a double-play grounder and then finished strong with four strikeouts and a pickoff in the next two innings.
Donatelli was backed by several outstanding defensive plays from his infielders and a web gem by Pereslucha, who raced into foul territory for a diving grab of Aaron Sayers\’ fly ball down the left field line.
Against Laurel (6-9), Tanner St. Clair\’s home run into the batting cage behind the fence in left was the lone offensive highlight for the Chiefs.
Medoff, who had twirled a one-hitter in Friday\’s 1-0 victory over host Beech Creek Legion at Lock Haven University, picked up his second tourney win with a four-inning stint, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out four.
McNamara set down three Chiefs on infield pop-ups around a single by Wil Bacharach and the 30-minute delay to assure Laurel of being in the hunt for one of the berths in Sunday\’s games that will determine the order of finish for the top eight teams.
Laurel, which lost 8-0 Nor-Gwyn Friday, took advantage of Herrington\’s wildness to score three runs in the second inning after two walks and Greg Gardner\’s single loaded the bases.
With one out, courtesy runner Curtis Werner scored on Dustin Drewyer\’s suicide squeeze. Three more walks, one by Bookhamer in relief, gave Laurel two more runs.
The winners tacked on two more in the third on Brody Tennant\’s booming triple to right center.
After working three innings in the first game, Bookhamer came back to log 3-1/3 against Laurel. His totals for the day were six hits, two earned runs, six strikeouts and four walks.
\”Bookie had a good day on the mound,\” Lansberry said. \”I thought he pitched well in relief both games.
\”Nobody likes to go 0-4, but I still think this tournament is a good experience for our kids. They face superior pitching, and there are situations where the competition is much better than what we faced during the season.
\”So, I think it\’s worthwhile, and we\’d like to host this again if they\’ll let us.\”
Laurel, a team of players from four high schools in Howard County, defeated Kiski 6-2 in the middle game with Drew Guty pitching a complete-game six-hitter and striking out seven. Kyle Melan had two singles, one for the game-winning RBI in the fifth inning.
KISKI BASEBALL CLUB — 3
Shawn Vogel cf 3110, Zane Reese lf-3b 2000, Corey Stascak eh 1001, Mike Pereslucha p-lf 3020, Kory Kirchartz ss 2000, Shane Hall c 1000, Neal Henry c 2110, Frank Brank 1b 3110, Chris Vocke 2b 3021, Nate Rigatti rf 1000, Cody Thompson rf 1000, Vince Donatelli 3b-p 3000. TOTALS: 25 3 7 2.
CLEARFIELD LEGION — 1
Jarrin Campman 2b 2120, Ben McGary cf 2000, Derek Danver 3b 3000, Jeremy Grove p 2011, Corey Bookhamer p 1000, Kyle Kline ss 1000, Aaron Sayers rf 2000, Michael Moyer 1b 2000, Tanner St. Clair eh 3010, Wil Bacharach lf 0000, David Ryan lf 1000, Matt Lonjin c 2000, Kyle Timchak ph 1000. TOTALS: 22 1 4 1.
Score by Innings
Kiski 000 120 0 – 3 7 0
Clearfield 100 000 0 – 1 4 2
Errors – Grove, Bookhamer. DP – Clearfield 1 (Campman, Kline and Moyer). 2B – Grove. Sac – Reese, Stascak; Herrington, Bacharach. SB – Stascak, Pereslucha 2, Kirchartz, Vocke; Campman.
Pitching
Kiski – Pereslucha 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K; Donatelli 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K.
Clearfield – Grove 4+ IP (faced 4 batters in 5th), 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K; Bookhamer 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.
HB – Pereslucha 1 (Kline). WP – Pereslucha 1. Balk – Pereslucha 1.
W – Donatelli. L – Grove (0-1).
Umpires – Larry Hanna (home plate); Mark Michelucci (bases).
* * * * * * * * * *
LAUREL (Md.) LEGION — 5
Kyle Melan ss 2001, Matt Schmauder c 1011, Drew Guty 1b-lf 3020, Brad Wandell lf 3000, Pat McNamara p 0000, Rob Medoff p-1b 1200, Codi McIntyre 2b 2210, Greg Gardner 3b 3110, Brody Tennant rf 2012, Dustin Drewyer cf 1001, Nick Meyer eh 0000. TOTALS: 18 5 6 5.
CLEARFIELD LEGION — 1
Campman 2b 2010, Herrington p-1b 1000, Grove eh 2000, Danver 3b 1000, McGary cf 2000, Kline ss 2000, St. Clair lf 2111, Bookhamer 1b-p 2000, Bacharach c 2010, Ryan rf 1000. TOTALS: 17 1 3 1.
Score by Innings
Laurel 032 00 – 5 6 0
Clearfield 010 00 – 1 3 0
DP – Clearfield 1 (Kline and Herrington). 3B – Tennant. HR – St. Clair. Sac – Drewyer; Herrington.
Pitching
Laurel – Medoff 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; McNamara 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Herrington 1-2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K; Bookhamer 3-1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K.
WP – Bookhamer.
W – Medoff. L – Herrington (1-3).
Umpires – Gary Barr (home plate); Bill Bacharach (bases).