PUNXSUTAWNEY – The underachieving Punxsutawney Chucks have been waiting almost a month to atone for a nine-inning 9-8 loss at Clearfield, and they did it in convincing fashion Monday afternoon at Rich Kuntz Memorial Field.
Senior left-hander Braedon Pennington’s best outing of the season and Dane Kopas’ four hits, three of them doubles, and three runs batted in sparked a 10-3 win that left both teams 5-3 in the District 9 Northern Allegany League Big School Division.
Punxsy (5-8) pitchers have been struggling, holding opponents to less than eight runs only four times, but Pennington appeared to return to his 2009 form in his most recent start against St. Marys.
He built on that effort against Clearfield (8-7) for his first win in three decisions.
Staked to an early 6-0 cushion, Pennington scattered seven hits and held the Bisons to one earned run through six innings, departing after striking out 12, walking none and hitting one batter.
Matt Lonjin’s RBI-double in the fourth inning and a passed ball and then an error on Andrew Redden’s fly ball following singles by Jarrett Fulmer and Justin Hoffman and a wild pitch in the fifth accounted for the Clearfield (8-7) runs.
Joe Pisano mopped up against five Bison pinch-hitters in the seventh, striking out the side around singles by Isaac Butler and Steve Miller, the first varsity hit for the latter.
No. 1 Clearfield hurler Trevor Flanagan labored through his second rough start in a row, giving up six runs on seven hits and four walks in two innings.
The junior right-hander walked in two runs after singles by Kyle Neal, Jordan Mesoraco and Tyler Skerkavich and a double by Kopas had given Punxsy two quick tallies.
Kopas doubled again in the second frame to chase home Pennington, who had singled and stolen second, and scored the second of his three runs when Pisano’s hit was misplayed.
Kurtis Krise relieved in the third and posted three shutout innings before the Chucks put up another four-spot in the sixth. After Pennington and Kopas doubled for RBIs, Dom Bevak also clubbed a two-bagger to plate the final two runs. Two of the runs were unearned because of a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt.
Kyle Neal had two hits for Punxsy, which clouded the District 9 Class AAA Playoffs picture with its victory.
Coach Sid Lansberry’s Bisons can muddle it even more by knocking off St. Marys Wednesday in the opener of a four-game homestand.
A Bison win would leave all three teams with three D9NAL losses and 1-1 against each other.
In the junior varsity game, Curtis Frye was the winning pitcher, striking out eight, banged out three singles and scored three runs as Clearfield upped its record to 9-5 with a 10-5 victory.
Levi Picard socked a home run and drove in three runs. Jordan Lancaster added a pair of RBIs.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Jarrett Fulmer 2b 4111, Justin Hoffman rf 3110, Wil Beauseigneur ph 1000, Andrew Redden 1b 2010, Isaac Butler ph 1010, Derek Danver ss 3000, Luke Peterson ph 1000, Shane Harper lf 0000, Garrett Samsel dh 3010, Steve Miller ph 1010, Chad Zurat cf 3110, Maverick Vanderburgh ph 1000, Matt Lonjin c 3011, Tyler Jacobson 3b 3010, Terry Flanagan p 1000, Justyn Knepp lf 2000. TOTALS: 32 3 9 1.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 10
Kyle Neal 2b 4220, Jordan Mesoraco c 3110, Braedon Pennington p-lf 4221, Tyler Skerkavich 1b 4211, Dane Kopas 4b 4343, Joe Pisano 3b-p 1010, Tyler Wingard 3b 2000, Zak Dickey ss 0000, Dom Bevak dh 3012, Dylan Kachmar lf-3b 2001, Devan Neal cf 1011, Brodi Lowmaster cf 2000. TOTALS: 30 10 13 9.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 000 120 0 – 3 8 2
Punxsutawney 420 004 x – 10 13 3
Errors – Zurat, Lonjin; D. Neal; K. Neal. PB – Mesoraco 2. DP – Clearfield 1 (Danver unassisted). LOB – Clearfield 9, Punxsutawney 8. 2B – Lonjin; Pennington, Kopas 3, Dickey. Sac – Mesoraco. SB – Pennington.
Pitching
Clearfield – Flanagan 2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K; Krise 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
Punxsutawney – Pennington 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 12 K; Pisano 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3.
HB – Pennington 1 (Redden). WP – Pennington 2, Pisano.
W – Pennington (1-2). L – Flanagan (2-3).