CLEARFIELD – Saturday dawned chilly and wet but turned warm and sunny for a near-perfect baseball afternoon at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park, much to the delight of four dozen former Clearfield Area High School players who stepped on the diamond for the fourth annual Bison Alumni Games.
The score wasn\’t all-important in the Oldtimers Game, which found the White Team besting the Grays 10-4 in the first of the two six-inning tilts.
The outcome did matter, especially to Gray Team manager Brian Bar (Class of 1991), in the fast-paced, well-played and entertaining Youngsters Game.
Chided by conquerors of the squads he\’s drafted, traded for and, some have proclaimed, even tried to stack in the previous three years, Barr took matters into his own hands by slashing a double to left for the game-winning hit as the Grays edged the Whites 3-1.
The insurance run was provided by Adam Welker (\’95) with a sacrifice fly that plated Steve Terry (\’89), who had walked and advanced to third on Barr\’s liner.
Barr\’s RBI was the only one winning pitcher Jeff Droll (\’90) needed, though. The hard-throwing right-hander, who still pitches in the Centre County League, closed out an impressive three-inning stint with two of his three strikeouts and then retired Ryan Briskar (\’99) on a grounder to second base.
Droll set down all nine batters he faced to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the Gray Team.
Teammate Scott Hugney (\’03) also was a strong MVP candidate and wound up the Gray\’s Rookie of the Year.
In the first inning, he singled for an RBI after James Zimmermann (\’07) led off with hit and stole second. In the sixth, he ignited the winning rally with a single and scored on Barr\’s clutch safety.
And, he pitched one hitless inning in relief of starter Trey Wallace (\’06).
Chris Peacock (\’91) also had two hits, one a double.
Younger brother Randy Peacock (\’03) received the Gray\’s Gold Glove Award for a dandy grab of Gary Welker\’s sinking liner to snuff out the White\’s threat in the first inning.
The White Team scored in the second inning when Thomas Yeager (\’02) walked and Scott Dunlap (\’81) doubled to deep right center.
Wallace, Hugney and Droll then retired 15 of the next 16 batters.
Dunlap was named the White\’s MVP.
Welker (\’94), plucked off the Gray\’s roster by manager Ben Timko when projected starter and two-time MVP Mike Davidson (\’02) did not fulfill his contract, took the loss but wound up with the Gold Glove Award for his play at third base.
Infielder-outfielder Andrew Kirsch (\’04) was selected Rookie of the Year.
In the Oldtimers Game, the White Team scored four runs in top of the first and widened the lead to 9-2 in the third to make starter Dennis Bowman (\’86) the winner. Donnie Shimmel (\’84) worked the final three frames for the save. They combined for a seven-hitter with seven strikeouts.
MVP Todd Vanderburgh (\’84) paced a 17-hit attack with two singles and a double. He drove in one run and scored two.
Tom \”Bump\” Danver (\’82) belted a two-run homer and singled, Larry Peacock (\’65) had a pair of run-scoring singles and Shimmel and Andy Lingle (\’85) also had two hits. Logan Cramer chipped in with two RBIs.
First baseman Ken \”Buck\” Danver (\’70) scooped up the Gold Glove Award and catcher-outfielder Andy Keirn was selected Rookie of the Year for the White Team.
Chris Dixon (\’87) earned MVP laurels for the Gray Team with two hits, one a double, and two runs scored.
Dunlap, who clubbed a two-run homer in the first inning, got the Gold Glove Award for his play at shortstop, and pitcher-first baseman Dean Lansberry was the Rookie of the Year pick.
The Home Run Derby winners were Shimmel for the Oldtimers with two long balls and 16 total points and Tim Oswalt (\’94) for the Youngsters with one homer and 10 points.
The two-day event that included a golf tournament Friday afternoon and batting practice and draft social that night and dinner Saturday night at the former Adventure Park, benefits the Clearfield Baseball Association, and Bison head coach Sid Lansberry (\’64) noted that more than 60 CAHS graduates participated.
\”Now, not all of them played,\” he said, \”but that includes all of the guys who were there and at least got into the picture or made donations.
\”It went pretty well, and there are a lot of people thank, especially our alumni committee of Jeff Kavelak, Donnie Shimmel, Brian Barr, Brandon Billotte, Chris Peacock, Logan Cramer III and Ed Yeager. Those are the people who put it together and made it a success. And we had a lot of donations from the community.
\”We got lucky with the weather again. It turned out to be a good day for baseball.
\”It\’s something we\’ve got to keep going. It\’s our best fund-raiser, and it\’s well worth it.\”
EXTRA INNINGS – Lansberry, who also is a member of the CAHS Baseball Alumni Committee, charged out of the Gray Team dugout to pinch-run for Tom Kirsch (\’70) after the latter jerked a one-out double to right field in the second inning of the Oldtimers Game. He danced three or four feet off second base for several pitches before eventually being forced out at third… Father-son combinations were Larry and Chris and Randy Peacock, Merrill (\’57) and Scott Dunlap, Keith (\’64) and Kevin (\’94) Billotte, Bill (\’67) and Brandon (\’98) Billotte and Tom and Andrew Kirsch. Merrill Dunlap continues to be the oldest ex-Bison see action… Brothers who played together were Keith, Ken and Bill Billotte, Ken and Tom Danver and Sid and Dean Lansberry. Adam and Gary Welker wound up on opposing teams… Ward Fink was manager for the Gray Oldtimers… Ed Yeager (\’75) and Pat \”Planet\” Pallo (\’86) were the announcers, mixing facts about each batter with humorous anecdotes… The first Bison Baseball Alumni Golf Scramble at the Clearfield-Curwensville Country Club was won by Scott Dunlap, Gary Welker and Joe Rumsky with a 71, with Merrill Dunlap, Adam Welker, Butch Martell and Kevin Billotte one stroke back and Timko, Barr and Brent Lykens third with a 76.
OLDTIMERS GAME
WHITE – 11
Andy Lingle (\’85) lf-cf 2120, Jeff Norris (\’76) cf 2211, Tom Danver (\’82) rf 3222, Todd Vanderburgh (\’84) ss 3231, Andy Keirn (\’82) c-cf 3201, Doug Trude (\’78) 1b-eh-1b 2120, Denny Bowman (\’86) p-3b 2111, Larry Peacock (\’65) 3b 2022, Logan Cramer III (\’81) 2b-eh-2b 2012, Ken Danver (\’70) eh-1b-lf 2000, Ken Billotte (\’64) eh-2b 2010, Bill Billotte (\’67) eh-3b 2000, Brant Forcey (\’88) eh-c 2000, Donnie Shimmel (\’84) eh-p 2120, Keith Billotte (\’64) 2b 0000. TOTALS: 31 11 17 10.
GRAY – 4
Anthony Biviano (\’67) eh-2b 2000, Chris Dixon (\’87) cf-eh 2220, Scott Dunlap (\’81) ss 1112, Merrill Dunlap (\’57) 2b 2001, Tom Flanagan (\’78) 3b-eh-3b 2000, Bob Harper (\’79) lf-eh 2100, Tom Kirsch (\’70) p-1b-eh 2010, Sid Lansberry (\’64) pr 0000, Dean Lansberry (\’79) 1b-p-1b 1011, Butch Martell (\’63) eh-3b-eh 1000, Jim Moyer (\’78) c 2010, Gary Rowles (\’82) rf-eh-p 2000, Gary Schucker (\’79) eh-rf 2000, Garry Shirey (\’76) eh-cf 2000, Hank Wilson (\’82) eh-lf 2010 2010. TOTALS: 15 4 7 4.
Score by Innings
White 405 020 – 11 17 0
Gray 200 110 – 4 7 1
LOB – White 7; Gray 6. 2B – Norris, Vanderburgh; Dixon, Kirsch, Wilson. HR – T. Danver; S. Dunlap. SF – Norris. SB – Lingle.
Pitching
White – Bowman 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; Shimmel 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
Gray – Kirsch 2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; D. Lansberry 2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K; Rowles 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
W – Bowman. L – Kirsch. Save – Shimmel.
Umpires – Bill Bacharach (\’70), home plate; Al Fricke (\’73)), bases.
* * * * * * * * * *
YOUNGSTERS GAME
GRAY – 3
James Zimmermann (\’07) 2b-ss 3110, Brent Lykens (\’91) c 3000, Scott Hugney (\’03) ss-p-2b 3121, Chris Peacock (\’91) 1b 3020, Steve Terry (\’89) c 2100, Brian Barr (\’91) lf 1011, Adam Welker (\’95) eh-rf 2001, Trey Wallace (\’06) p-cf-lf 010, Randy Peacock (\’03) rf 1000, Kevin Billotte (\’94) cf-eh-cf 2000, Jeff Droll (\’90) 2b-p 0000. TOTALS: 23 3 7 3.
WHITE – 1
Brandon Billotte (\’98) cf-p-cf 3010, Andrew Kirsch (\’04) ss-cf-ss 3000, Ryan Briskar (\’99) p-ss-3b 1000, Tim Oswalt (\’94) lf 2000, Gary Welker (\’94) 3b-p 2000, Thomas Yeager (\’02) c 1100, Scott Dunlap (\’81) 1b 2011, Andy Lingle (\’85) rf 2000, Aaron Rowles (\’96) 2b 2000, Ben Timko (\’92) p 2000. TOTALS: 20 1 2 1.
Gray 100 002 – 3 7 0
White 010 000 – 1 2 0
LOB – Gray 7; White 4. DP – White 1 (G. Welker and Dunlap). 2B – Hugney, Barr; Dunlap. SF – A. Welker. SB – Zimmermann.
Pitching
Gray – Wallace 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Hugney 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; Droll 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
White – Briskar 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0K; G. Welker 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R< 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
W – Droll. L – G. Welker.
Umpires – Garry Shirey (\’76), home plate; Dave Glass (\’92), bases.
