HYDE – DuBois, in a dogfight with Punxsutawney for first place in the Jefferson County Legion League, bolted to a 6-0 lead in the first inning and went on to hand Clearfield a 14-3 setback at the Bison Sports Complex Tuesday evening.
Kasey Clinton and Jordan LaBue matched three-run homers as the visitors collected 13 hits while Dante DeSantis was limiting the Chiefs to six safeties.
At 14-2 with four games to play, DuBois remains one game in front of Punxsy in the loss column.
Clearfield (9-6) leads the chase for the other two playoff berths.
The third-place Chiefs are a game and a half ahead of Curwensville (8-8), with Brookville (6-10) still clinging to slim hopes of overtaking one or both teams.
The Chiefs, playing their 11th game in 12 days, were unable to slow down the DuBois Express, which rolled through June at high speed with double-figure scoring in almost every game.
The league leaders wasted no time setting the tone against Justin Hoffman, pressed into service as a starter for the first time this season.
Six of the first seven batters recorded hits, with Clinton\’s home run the key blow. Josh Means had two hits in the frame as DuBois sent 11 batters to the plate.
LaBue\’s blast chased reliever Kyle Timchak in the fourth and gave DuBois a 12-1 cushion.
LaBue, Matt Zimmerman and Mario Gregorio had two hits apiece.
Clinton and LaBue wound up with four runs batted in, and Zimmerman had two RBIs.
DeSantis struck out eight, walked three and hit one Chief in his complete-game effort.
For the Chiefs, Andrew Redden singled and doubled. Tyler Jacobson also had a double.
Clearfield, 10-12 overall, will host Punxsutawney Wednesday and Reynoldsville Thursday.
DUBOIS — 14
Josh Means cf 5221, Matt Zimmerman 3222, Dante DeSantis p 3210, Kasey Clinton 3b 3214, Brady Bish 3b 1000, Mario Gregorio c 4120, Jordan LaBue 2b 4324, Billy Ellinger 2b 1000, Garrett Peterson ss 5111, Richie Pruzinsky 1b 3010, Adam Young 1b 1000, Tyler Miles rf 3010, Derek Clark rf 0100. TOTALS: 26 14 13 12.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Justin Hoffman p-rf 4000, Kyle Timchak rf-p-cf-lf 4000, Corey Bookhamer 1b 4010, Tanner St. Clair ss 1200, Andrew Redden lf-p 3121, Aaron Sayers cf-p-cf 3010, Matt Lonjin c 3000, Trevor Flanagan 3b 2010, Tyler Jacobson 3b 1011, Luke Peterson 2b 3000. TOTALS: 28 3 6 2.
Score by Innings
DuBois 610 412 0 – 14 13 1
Clearfield 010 002 0 – 3 6 5
Errors – G. Peterson; Hoffman, St. Clair, Sayers, Flanagan 2. DP – Clearfield 1 (L. Peterson, Jacobson and Bookhamer). LOB – DuBois 9; Clearfield 8. 2B – Zimmerman, Gregorio, LaBue; Redden. HR – Clinton, LaBue. SB – Zimmerman, LaBue 2.
Pitching
DuBois – DeSantis 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.
Clearfield – Hoffman 1/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Timchak 3 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K; Sayers 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Redden 1-2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
HB – DeSantis 1 (St. Clair). WP – Timchak 1. PO – Jacobson 1 (Miles).
W – DeSantis. L – Hoffman (0-1).
