WILLIAMSPORT – One day after having a seven-game winning streak snapped by Shikellamy, Williamsport rebounded to short-circuit Clearfield\’s seven-game run 13-5 at Logue Field Tuesday afternoon.
Three-run homers by Noah Bower and Jon Taddeo highlighted two big innings by the Millionaires, who clinched a berth in the Districts 2-4 Class AAAA Playoffs with their 10th win in 17 games.
The Bisons led 3-1 after their second at-bat, but Bower\’s blast put the Millionaires ahead 6-3 in the third inning, and they wrapped up the Central Penn League finale for both teams with a seven-run outburst in the sixth inning.
Taddeo\’s homer produced three of five unearned runs off Clearfield reliever Justin Hoffman after Bower made it 8-5 with a two-run double.
Corey Bookhamer paced the Bisons with three hits and two runs batted in, while Jarrin Campman collected three hits for the third game in a row.
With crucial District 9 Northern Allegany League Big School Division games coming up against Brookville and St. Marys, Bison coach Sid Lansberry gave senior Kyle Timchak and junior Jason Bowman their first taste of varsity pitching in addition to sending Hoffman to the mound for the first time this season.
The Millionaires padded their .322 average with 13 hits off Timchak, who took the loss, and Hoffman, but only five of their runs were earned.
Bower led the way with three hits and five RBIs, while Nick Keener also singled three times, including run-scoring hits in the first and third innings, and Taddeo and Nick Zegarski each had two safeties.
\”I don\’t know how they lost seven games,\” Lansberry said. \”When these kids were 15, we beat them 6-5 in the first game of the Babe Ruth League area tournament, and they went on to win that and states and finish second in the Babe Ruth League World Series.
\”They\’re a good, solid team.\”
Still, the Bisons gained the early advantage.
With two down in the first inning, Bookhamer slashed a run-scoring double to left center and came around on a single by Hoffman.
Bookhamer\’s RBI-single made it 3-1 in the second.
After rapping six hits off starter Ben Kaler in 1-2/3 innings, Clearfield managed only three more off winner Bryan Frailey but none off him Jared Fagnano and Tony Gotshall over the last three innings.
Clearfield\’s final two runs set the score at 6-5 in the fourth.
Frailey hit Matt Lonjin, and Parker Herrington chased home courtesy runner Wil Beauseigneur with a double to right center. Herrington moved to third on the throw and scored on a groundout by Tanner St. Clair, who saw his 11-game hitting streak end. St. Clair was hit by a pitch and walked twice in his other trips to the plate.
\”We played well until that sixth inning,\” Lansberry said.
Williamsport ended CPL play 4-3.
Clearfield (9-6, 1-6 CPL) will try to clinch at least a share of the D9NAL crown at Brookville Wednesday. The Bisons then would have to beat St. Marys at home Thursday to claim the title outright from DuBois and Punxsutawney.
CLEARFIELD — 5
Jarrin Campman 2b 4030, Parker Herrington ss 3211, Tanner St. Clair lf 1101, Corey Bookhamer 1b 3132, Justin Hoffman rf-p 4011, Jason Bowman p 0000, Aaron Sayers cf 3010, Luke Peterson ph 1000, Derek Danver 3b 2000, Chad Zurat ph 1000, Kyle Timchak p-rf 3000, Wil Beauseigneur ph 1000, Matt Lonjin c 1100, Andrew Redden ph 1000. TOTALS: 28 5 9 5.
WILLIAMSPORT — 13
Drae Lewis cf 4100, Tony Gotshall 2b-p 5111, Jon Taddeo ss 5323, Nick Keener lf 5132, Jared Mertes c 0300, Nick Zegarski 3b 4120, Ben Kaler p 0000, Bryan Frailey p 0000, Jared Fagnano p-2b 0000, Noah Bower dh 4135, Brandon Bartley 1b 1000, Clyde McCallister ph-1b 3120, Sean Ruane rf 1101. TOTALS: 32 13 13 12.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 210 200 0 – 5 9 4
Williamsport 114 007 x – 13 13 1
Errors – Danver 4; Gotshall. DP – Williamsport 1 (Zegarski, Gotshall and Bartley). LOB – Clearfield 8; Williamsport 10. 2B – Herrington, Bookhamer; Taddeo, Bower. HR – Taddeo, Bower. SB – Keener 2, Mertes. CS – Campman 2 (by Mertes).
Pitching
Clearfield – Timchak 3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K; Hoffman 2-2/3 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Bowman 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Williamsport – Kaler 1-2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Frailey 3-2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Fagnano 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Gotshall 1-1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
HB – Timchak 1 (Mertes); Kaler 1 (Danver), Frailey 1 (Lonjin), Fagnano 1 (St. Clair).
W – Frailey (2-0). L – Timchak (0-1).
