BROOKVILLE – Derek Danver and Matt Lonjin had three hits and two runs batted in apiece as Clearfield pulled away from Brookville in the late innings for a 10-4 win at McKinley Field Wednesday to snap a four-game losing streak and claim a share of the District 9 Northern Allegany League Big School Division lead.
Justin Hoffman, Tyler Jacobson and Chad Zurat each contributed two safeties to the 14-hit attack.
The Bisons broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the sixth inning and tacked on four more in the seventh to give relief specialist Zurat his third victory in as many decisions.
Coach Sid Lansberry’s 6-5 team is deadlocked atop the D9NAL at 3-1 with DuBois, which downed Punxsutawney 13-8, and St. Marys, which blanked Bradford 10-0 in six innings.
All but one of Clearfield’s runs off of reliever and loser Tyler Dombrowski in the last two innings were unearned because of three Brookville misplays.
In the sixth, Hoffman tripled over the left fielder’s head for the go-ahead run after Jarrett Fulmer reached base on an error. Andrew Redden and Danver followed with RBI-singles.
“Hoffman’s triple on a hit-and-run was a big hit,” Lansberry said.
A two-out error opened the door in the seventh, and the Bisons padded their lead on run-scoring singles by Danver and Jacobson and a two-run single by Lonjin.
That rally was key, according to Lansberry, because the Raiders (3-8) would have had the tying runs aboard in the lower seventh otherwise. Singles by Seth Connor, Jared Heschke and Zane Hackett set the final score before Zurat got the last out.
Those were the only hits off of the senior right-hander in his 2-2/3 innings on the mound. He struck out two and walked two.
Flanagan, who surrendered six hits and two earned runs, was lifted after singles by Dakota Singleton, Seth Connor and Ethan Harmon had cut Clearfield’s lead to 3-2 in the fifth.
“Flanagan pitched very well,” Lansberry said. “We took him out more because of his pitch count, which was up around 84 or 85, than the fact they scored there.
“Zurat came in and did a good job.”
The Raiders did tie it up on Garret Weaver’s groundout, but second baseman Fulmer robbed him of a hit to prevent the hosts from having runners on the corners with one out.
“It looked like that ball was going into right field for a base hit, but Fulmer knocked it down and threw the kid out from his knees,” Lansberry said. “That was a very important play.”
Clearfield tallied its first three runs with two outs.
Fulmer’s bases-loaded walk and Hoffman’s single put the Bisons in front 2-1 in the second. The first of Lonjin’s two doubles and pinch-hitter Garrett Samsel’s single provided the 3-1 edge in the top of the fifth.
“That was another key hit,” Lansberry said.
Samsel has come off the bench to deliver four hits and draw two walks in eight pinch-hit appearances this season.
The Bisons will go to DuBois Monday and then play Bradford at home Wednesday and on the road Friday in D9NAL action.
Kyler Kephart had three singles and three RBIs and Derrik Snyder had two doubles and two RBIs to lead the Clearfield jayvees to a six-inning 12-1 win.
Levi Picard also had two hits while Jordan Lancaster doubled home two runs.
Ronny Ogden was the winning pitcher.
District 9 Northern Allegany League Big School Division – Clearfield 3-1, DuBois 3-1, St. Marys 3-1, Punxsutawney 2-2, Brookville 1-4, Bradford 0-4.
CLEARFIELD — 10
Jarrett Fulmer 2b 3101, Justin Hoffman rf 5222, Andrew Redden 1b 4211, Derek Danver ss 5132, Tyler Jacobson 3b 4021, Luke Peterson 3b 0000, Matt Lonjin c 5132, Shane Harper lf-cf 0000, Isaac Butler dh 1100, Garrett Samsel ph-dh3011, Chad Zurat cf-p 3220, Trevor Flanagan p 0000, Justyn Knepp lf 2000. TOTALS: 35 10 14 10.
BROOKVILLE — 4
Christian Gerg lf 3000, Brandon Brownlee ph 1000, Seth Connor ss 4330, Chase Lyle 1b 0000, Pat Vroman 2b 0000, Ethan Harmon dh 4021, Garret Weaver 3b 3001, Jared Heschke cf 4010, Zane Hackett p-1b 4021, Brock Bietz rf 4000, Pat Brush 2b 1000, Tyler Dombrowski p 0000, Dakota Singleton c 2110. TOTALS: 30 4 9 3.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 020 013 4 – 10 14 1
Brookville 100 020 1 – 4 9 4
Errors – Lonjin; Gerg, Connor, Weaver 2. PB – Lonjin 1. LOB – Clearfield 12; Brookville 9. 2B – Lonjin 2; Connor, Harmon. 3B – Hoffman. Sac – Fulmer, Jacobson. SB – Fulmer; Harmon.
Pitching
Clearfield – Flanagan 4-1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Zurat 2-2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
Brookville – Hackett 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Dombrowski 2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
HB – Hackett 1 (Flanagan). WP – Flanagan. Balk – Flanagan 1.
W – Zurat (3-0). L – Dombrowski (1-2).