HOMER CITY – Scott Harsh’s second home run of the game, a three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth inning, lifted Homer City to a 9-8 interleague win over Clearfield Sunday afternoon.
Harsh had two home runs and five RBIs for the Indiana County League team that features many players from the PIAA District 6 Class A champions who lost in the state semifinals to eventual runner-up Serra Catholic.
An all-too-familiar scenario proved costly for the Chiefs, who dipped to 9-5 in the Jefferson County League and 11-8 overall with their third loss in two days.
They left a dozen runners on base and were guilty of misplays resulting in six unearned runs that pinned the second loss on Corey Bookhamer.
The southpaw, who very well could have been working on a shutout in the sixth, gave up nine hits, walked one and hit one. He posted seven strikeouts.
All of Homer Center’s gift runs came in the first two innings, Harsh’s two-run homer capping the three-run second.
Manager Sid Lansberry’s Chiefs fought back, though, getting a boost from Matt Wilden’s wildness in the third frame.
The Homer City (9-6) starter walked Tyler Jacobson and Derrick Snyder and hit Troy Danver to force in runs.
Clearfield tied it in the fourth when Bookhamer doubled home one run and Jacobson singled in a pair and went in front 8-6 in the fifth on RBI-singles by Kyle Timchak and Bookhamer off reliever Matt Stewart.
However, Harsh came through with his game-winning blow in the sixth to make Stewart the winner.
Clearfield wound up with eight hits, three by Bookhamer and two by Timchak, plus seven walks and four hit batsman, but stranded at least two runners in five at-bats.
The Chiefs will finish 3-1 in JCL’s first season of interleague action unless a suspended game with Marion Center is completed. They led 3-0 when rain halted the June 19 contest in the fifth inning.
Clearfield will play its ninth game in eight days Monday, visiting DuBois for a 6 p.m. start at Showers Field.
Jefferson County League – DuBois 11-0, Punxsutawney 10-3, Clearfield 9-5, Brookville 3-10, Reynoldsville 2-13.
CLEARFIELD — 8
Jarrett Fulmer ss 4210, Kyle Timchak rf 4221, Corey Bookhamer p 5131, Andrew Redden c 4110, Tyler Jacobson 3b 3013, Derrick Snyder 1b 2001, Troy Danver cf 1011, Luke Peterson 2b 4100, Ronny Ogden lf 3000, Steve Miller ph 0000. TOTALS: 30 8 9 7.
HOMER CITY — 9
Cody Trabert rf 4100, Jordan Long lf 3210, Dylan George ph 1000, Scott Harsh ss 4325, Eric Cusimano 3b 4121, Ty Holderbaum c 4011, Matt Wilden p-2b 0000, Evan Bencic dh 1001, Matt Stewart 2b 2010, Josh Goldberg 1b 3010, Zach Davis cf 3210. TOTALS: 29 9 9 8.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 003 320 0 – 8 9 3
Homer City 330 003 x – 9 9 0
Errors – Fulmer 2, Jacobson. PB – Redden. LOB – Clearfield 12; Homer City 5. 2B – Bookhamer; Cusimano. HR – Harsh 2. SF – Bencic.
Pitching
Clearfield – Bookhamer 6 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.
Homer City – Wilden 4 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 6 K; Stewart 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
HB – Bookhamer 1 (Stewart); Wilden 2 (Fulmer, Danver); Stewart 2 (Danver, Miller). WP – Bookhamer 1; Wilden 1.
W – Stewart. L – Bookhamer (5-2).
