ALTOONA – Corey Bookhamer authored a five-inning one-hitter while Kyle Timchak and Matt Lonjin combined for four hits and four runs batted in at the bottom of the lineup as Clearfield got back on the winning track by bouncing Cambria Heights 11-1 in a Dean Patterson Curve Classic consolation game at the Blair County Ballpark Saturday morning.
Bookhamer was one out away from a 10-0 Mercy Rule no-no when losing hurler Ian Olsavsky hammered a high fast ball to deep center for a triple that scored Tyler Thomas, who had received the senior left-hander\’s fifth free pass.
That run forced the Bisons (3-5) to bat one more time, and they got the early finish on a walk, Tanner St. Clair\’s one-out single and the Highlanders\’ fifth error.
\”It\’s a real good win,\” Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry said. \”We needed that after (Friday). We played a lot better overall.\”
The Bisons were guilty of misplays on six grounders and failure to execute several much-practiced plays in a 10-2 loss to Hollidaysburg in their tourney opener.
Their lone error Saturday was a tough one charged to shortstop Parker Herrington on Caleb Vescovi\’s wicked one-hopper that skipped off his glove in the fourth inning. That most likely would have been labeled a hit had Bookhamer not been working on a no-hitter.
Cambria Heights (3-7) made only two groundball outs as Bookhamer struck out six, picked off a runner and induced six flyouts.
\”I told him, \’I don\’t care if it\’s a no-hitter or a one-hitter, it\’s a heck of a game,\’\” Lansberry said. \”He had all his pitches working. And six strikeouts are not bad for five innings.\”
Because of numerous postponements that have the Bisons still waiting to play their first game at home, Bookhamer was making only his second start in his fourth mound appearance of the season.
He quickly put a shaky start behind him and kept the Highlanders off balance by effectively mixing his off-speed pitches, a curve and a change, with his fastball.
A seemingly tight strike zone had him a little frustrated as he walked Brandon Crawford and Olsavsky and then wild pitched them up a base after Vescovi skied to right.
\”That\’s where you want him throwing the ball,\” Lansberry said, indicating the pitches were right at the knees. \”They were close, but he just wasn\’t getting the strikes.\”
However, Bookhamer settled down to whiff John Fees and pick off Olsavsky at second, a key play at the time.
After that, Bookhamer cruised to the win with a lot of help from his teammates and some from the Highlanders, whose three errors led to five unearned runs in the second inning.
\”They kicked the ball around a little bit, but we had some clutch hits, too,\” Lansberry said.
Bookhamer froze right fielder Alex Karlheim with a liner that rocketed over his head for a double to touch off the outburst in the second.
After back-to-back errors gave the Bisons their first run, Lonjin looped an RBI-single inside the right field line. Two more runs scored when the Highlanders were unable to turn a double play on Herrington\’s grounder. And Justin Hoffman lined an RBI-single to center to extend his hitting streak to seven games.
Bookhamer walked with one out in the third, and courtesy runner Chad Zurat went station to station to score Clearfield\’s sixth run. He advanced on a wild pitch, Derek Danver\’s flyout to right center and Timchak\’s hard smash off losing hurler Olsavsky\’s leg.
Steve Sharbaugh relieved in the fourth, and the Bisons tagged him for four runs, one coming on a wild pitch.
St. Clair and Lonjin delivered run-scoring hits, and Timchak picked up his second RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Olsavsky\’s triple that spoiled Bookhamer\’s shutout in the top of the fifth only delayed Clearfield\’s first Mercy Rule win since May 8, 2007. That also was an 11-1 final, with Hollidaysburg the victim.
Lansberry was happy to see the Bisons cross the plate for the third time in the bottom of the inning.
\”We needed that run, because I didn\’t want Bookie to have to go out and throw another inning,\” Lansberry explained. \”We need him to come back Wednesday.\”
No. 1 starter Michael Moyer is iffy for the trip to Bradford after taking himself out of the lineup because of a sore arm.
On a day he wasn\’t supposed to bat, Lonjin wound up pacing Clearfield\’s nine-hit attack with three singles, one more than he had in 15 previous trips to the plate, and two RBIs.
Lansberry had penciled in Timchak to DH for the junior catcher but had to make a last-minute change when Moyer informed him he would be unable to play first base. So, Timchak DHed for Matt Flanagan and also had two RBIs.
Bookhamer walked twice in addition to his two-bagger that give him three hits for the weekend, raising his average to .455.
Hoffman is close behind at .440, and St. Clair\’s fourth two-hit performance in five games boosted his average to .370.
Clearfield faces four games next week, beginning with its home opener against DuBois Monday in District 9 Northern Allegany League action.
CAMBRIA HEIGHTS — 1
Brandon Crawford ss 1000, Ian Olsavsky p-3b-cf 2011, Caleb Vescovi c 3000, John Fees cf-b 2000, Steve Sharbaugh 3b-p-3b 1000, Alex Karlheim rf 0000, Shane Mallin dh 0000, Bryce Brawley ph-dh 2000, Phil Beach 1b-p 2000, John Link 2b 1000, Joe Rematt ph 1000, Johnny Serafin lf 1000, Tyler Thomas ph 0100. TOTALS: 16 1 1 1.
CLEARFIELD — 11
Jarrin Campman 2b 3000, Parker Herrington ss 2311, Justin Hoffman rf 4011, Wil Beauseigneur rf 0000, Tanner St. Clair lf 4121, Garrett Samsel lf 0000, Aaron Sayers cf 3101, Chad Zurat cf 0000, Corey Bookhamer p 1310, Derek Danver 3b 2100, Matt Flanagan 1b 0000, Kyle Timchak dh 2112, Matt Lonjin c 3132. TOTALS: 24 11 9 8.
Score by Innings
Cambria Heights 000 01 – 1 1 5
Clearfield 051 41 – 11 9 1
Errors – Crawford 3, Sharbaugh, Link; Herrington. PB – Vescovi 1. LOB – Clearfield 6; Hollidaysburg 5. 2B – Bookhamer. 3B – Olsavsky. Sac – Herrington. SF – Timchak.
Pitching
Cambria Heights – Olsavsky 3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K; Sharbaugh 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 K; Beach 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 R, 1 BBB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Bookhamer 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 6 K.
HB – Olsavsky 1 (Campman); Sharbaugh 2 (Sayers, Danver). WP – Olsavsky 2, Sharbaugh 3; Bookhamer 2.
W – Bookhamer (1-0). L – Olsavsky.
Umpires – Steve Shuniak (home plate); Mike Bryja (bases).