HYDE – Down 7-4 in the sixth inning, the Clearfield Chiefs doubled their hit total with eight singles for an eight-run outburst and a big 12-7 Jefferson County League win over Punxsutawney at the Bison Sports Complex Wednesday evening.
Chad Zurat and Justin Hoffman, who combined for half of the second-place Post 6 team’s hits, rapped two singles apiece to trigger and cap the rally that turned defeat into victory for Tyler Jacobson in his first start of the season.
With one out, Zurat singled to left, moved up on a passed ball and scored on Hoffman’s grounder through the middle, the first of his five consecutive singles.
When Jacob Stumpf missed on his first two pitches to Andrew Redden, Kyle Neal relieved and completed the walk.
Then, Corey Bookhamer’s high fly to short left center fell for a single that loaded the bases, and Derek Danver got the Chiefs even by drilling a sharp grounder to right for two RBIs.
After Justyn Knepp drew a free pass to reload the sacks, Kyler Kephart re-entered the game and promptly cracked a two-run single to right for the game-winning hit.
Knepp was erased at the plate on Jacobson’s comebacker, but Shane Harper, Zurat and Hoffman followed with run-scoring hits.
Jacobson, who struck out four, issued his third walk to begin the seventh, and manager Sid Lansberry immediately summoned Bookhamer to the mound.
The veteran left-hander proceeded to induce three very high pop flies to the right side, second baseman Luke Peterson corralling the first two and Hoffman hauling in the final out.
Jacobson gave up 10 hits, including three in the first and three in the third as Punxsy built a 4-0 lead for starter Braedon Pennington.
Jordan Mesoraco’s double to deep right center, Spencer Levy’s RBI-single and Brodi Lowmaster’s sacrifice fly produced two quick runs.
Two innings later, Pennington led off with a home run to left center. Singles by Mesoraco and Bevak and a groundout by Lowmaster gave the visitors the first of their three four-run leads.
Clearfield got two back on Zurat’s liner down the right field line, Hoffman’s infield single, Andrew Redden’s double to the fence in dead center and Bookhamer’s groundout.
Pennington’s two-run homer to deep left in the fourth and Bevak’s solo blast to left in the fifth kept the visitors ahead, as the Chiefs answered with singletons off Stumpf to set the stage for the sixth-inning fireworks.
Hoffman starred with his career game, five hits and three RBIs, while Zurat delivered three safeties, Danver and Kephart contributed pairs of hits and RBIs and Harper also had two hits, one a double halfway up the fence in left center.
Bevak led Punxsy with three hits.
Clearfield, 7-1 in the JCL and 8-1 overall after their fifth consecutive win, will entertain undefeated DuBois Friday at 6 p.m. and then play two inter-league games Saturday against the Indiana County League’s Young Township at 3 p.m. and Marion Center at 6 p.m. on the latter’s home field.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 7
Braedon Pennington p 3223, Jacob Stumpf p-2b 1010, Jordan Mesoraco 2b 3220, Kyle Neal 2b-p 1000, Spencer Levy 1b 2111, Tyler Skerkavich lf 2000, Dom Bevak c 3131, Brodi Lowmaster lf 1002, Dane Kopas lf 2000, Dylan Kachmar ss 4010, Luke Janocha rf 2000, Steve Stumpf rf 2000, Devan Neal cf 2000, Joe Pisano 3b 0000, Taylor Neal 3b 1100, Tyler Wingard 1b 1000. TOTALS: 30 7 10 7.
CLEARFIELD — 12
Luke Peterson 3b-2b-3b-2b 0000, Chad Zurat dh 4231, Justin Hoffman rf 5253, Andrew Redden c 4111, Corey Bookhamer 1b-p 3211, Derek Danver ss 3122, Kyle Timchak lf 2000, Justin Knepp cf-lf 0001, Kyle Kephart 2b-1b 3122, Derrick Snyder 3b 0000, Tyler Jacobson p-3b 4100, Shane Harper cf 3221, Ronny Ogden lf 1000. TOTALS: 32 12 16 12.
Score by Innings
Punxsutawney 202 210 0 – 7 10 1
Clearfield 002 118 x – 12 16 0
Error – Mesoraco. PB – Bevak. DP – Punxsutawney 1 (Wingard unassisted). LOB – Punxsutawney 6; Clearfield . 2B – Mesoraco; Redden, Danver, Harper. HR – Pennington 2, Bevak. SF – Lowmaster; Bookhamer. SB – K. Neal; Danver.
Pitching
Punxsutawney – Pennington 3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; J. Stumpf 2-2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K; K. Neal 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – Jacobson 6+ IP (faced 1 batter in 7th), 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; Bookhamer 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
WP – Pennington 1; Jacobson 2.
W – Jacobson (1-0). L – K. Neal.
Umpires – J.R. Rosselli (plate); Frank Keenan (bases).
