CLEARFIELD – A triple dose of southpaw slingers kept the Clearfield Chiefs wood bats quiet in a pair of Bellefonte Bandits Showdown games at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field.
The Clearfield American Legion Post 6 team managed only seven hits in losses to the Ohio BB Rooners 4-0 and the Toronto, Canada, Cardinals 5-2.
Only a two-out, two-run double by Jordan Crane off the Cardinals\’ Miles Verweel in the bottom of the seventh inning prevented the Chiefs from being shut out for the day.
Verweel, coming off a red-shirt season at the University of British Columbia, wound up with a three-hitter after yielding only an infield single by Matt Lonjin through the first six frames.
Earlier, BB Rooners Matt Schultz and Scott Robinson of the Ohio BB Rooners combined on a four-hitter.
To bolster his mound staff for the tourney, Clearfield manager Sid Lansberry picked up right-handers Crane, a former Cameron County High School three-sport standout who pitched 29 innings at St. Bonaventure in the spring, and Richie Pruzinsky, one of the DuBois Area High School starters.
Both pitched well enough to win.
Pruzinsky worked from the stretch a lot, allowing nine hits, walking two and hitting one, but he limited the BB Rooners (19-7) to one run until the seventh.
Justin Suddeth\’s infield single to deep short allowed Nick Turley to score in the second and his double to the right center gap triggered a three-run uprising in the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Shay followed with a single to right to plate Suddeth, who could have been cut down with a better relay throw. After designated hitter Steve Deckert singled for the second time, Jonathon Gore bounced a single inside third base for the final two runs.
Schultz limited the Chiefs to four singles before giving way to Robinson after issuing his lone walk to Corey Bookhamer leading off the seventh. Robinson faced only three Chiefs, retiring two on infield pop-ups before ending the game with a strikeout. Schultz had four strikeouts.
Crane gave up eight hits and three walks, but only one of Toronto\’s runs was earned. That came in the first when Brandon Woodward beat out an infield single, stole second base and scored on Vito Perris double into the left field corner.
The Cardinals (4-9) added two runs in the fourth and two in the sixth.
The top two batters agave Crane the most trouble, Woodward with two hits and Perri with two doubles and a single.
Crane, who was relieved by Chad Zurat in the sixth, struck out nine.
Verweel, whose older brother Lee was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays two years ago, racked up 10 strikeouts.
His third walk and Kyle Timchak\’s looping single over third base in the seventh preceded Crane\’s two-bagger up the left center alley.
The BB Rooners defeated the Cardinals 9-3 in the nightcap of the triple-header.
Weather permitting, four games will be played Saturday, with Clearfield (5-8) taking on Tyrone Legion at 10 a.m. and Kiski Baseball Club at 5:30. In between, the Nor-Gwyn Hawks are booked to meet Tyrone at 12:30 and Kiski at 3.
GAME ONE
BB ROONERS — 4
Matt Schultz p 0000, Steve Deckert dh 4120, Jonathon Gore 3b 302, Jimmy Harrison ss 3010, Scott Robinson 1b-p 4010, Nick Cianci pr 0000, Mike Floravit cf 2000, Nick Turley eh-1b 2110, J.W. Gora pr 0000, Tyler Moser rf 2000, Casey Roch 2b 3000, Justin Suddeth lf 3211, Daniel Gainey c 2100, Ryan Shay ph 1011. TOTALS: 29 4 9 4.
CLEARFIELD — 0
Justin Hoffman rf 3010, Richie Pruzinsky p 0000, Kyle Timchak dh 2010, Tanner St. Clair eh 2000, Corey Bookhamer 1b 2000, Jordan Crane 2b-lf 2000, Shane Harper lf 1000, Derek Danver ss 3010, Aaron Sayers cf 3000, Chard Zurat lf 2010, Tyler Jacobson 2b 0000, Trevor Flanagan 3b 1000, Luke Peterson 3b 1000, Matt Lonjin c 2000. TOTALS: 24 0 4 0.
Score by Innings
BB Rooners 010 000 3 – 4 9 0
Clearfield 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
Errors – Peterson, Lonjin. DP – Clearfield 1 (Pruzinsky, Lonjin and Bookhamer). LOB – BB Rooners 9; Clearfield 6. 2B – Gore 2, Suddeth. Sac – Gore, Moser. SB – Cianci, Roch, Suddeth; Bookhamer.
Pitching
BB Rooners – Schultz 6+ IP (faced 1 batter in 7th), H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; Robinson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – Pruzinsky 7 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
HB – Schultz 1 (Bookhamer); Pruzinsky 1 (Harrison). WP – Schultz 1; Pruzinsky 1.
W – Schultz. L – Pruzinsky (0-1).
Umpires – Dave Neal (plate); Mike Preston (bases).
* * * * * * * * * *
GAME 2
TORONTO CARDINALS — 5
Brandon Woodward 2b 3120, Vito Perri ss-lf 4031, Andrew Mannone rf-cf 4000, Sean Ballentine c 4000, James McNeill 1b 4000, Viken Koukounian cf 1210, Chad DeCaire rf 0000, Miles Verweel p 0000, Dennis Boohdoo dh 4110, Robert Ghandour 3b 1000, Taylor Anderson ph-ss 2110, Justin Brooker lf 1000, Ryan Corey ph-3b 2000. TOTALS: 30 5 8 1.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Hoffman rf-2b 2100, Timchak eh-rf 3110, St. Clair lf 3000, Bookhamer 1b 3000, Crane p-eh 2012, Danver ss 2000, Sayers cf 2000, Harper cf 0000, Peterson 2b 0000, Zurat dh-p 2000, Flanagan 3b 1000, Jacobson 3b 1000, Lonjin c 2010. TOTALS: 23 2 3 2.
Score by Innings
Toronto 100 202 0 – 5 8 0
Clearfield 000 000 2 – 2 3 1
Error – Lonjin. PB – Lonjin 3. DP – Toronto 1 (Woodward and McNeill); Clearfield 1 (Bookhamer, Jacobson, Lonjin and Danver). LOB – Toronto 8; Clearfield 3. 2B – Perri 2; Crane. SB – Woodward.
Pitching
Toronto – Verweel 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K.
Clearfield – Crane 5-2/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K; Zurat 1-1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
WP – Crane 3. Balk – Verweel 1.
W – Verweel. L – Crane (0-1).
