CLEARFIELD – State College emerged as a strong contender for the Pennsylvania American Legion Region 7 Tournament title while Jefferson County League champion DuBois and Greensburg won contrasting elimination games in Sunday action.
The winner’s bracket semifinal between State College and Claysburg at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field turned into an 18-3 romp in 6-1/2 innings for the Central Penn League champions.
DuBois stayed alive by sidelining Bushy Run 10-9 in 10 innings in the opener of the LTRP Field tripleheader.
Greensburg earned another game in the double-elimination tourney by scoring in every inning except the third to oust Somerset 18-9 at Clearfield Area High School’s Bison Sports Complex.
State College (32-7) and Homer City (17-8) square off at 4 p.m. in Monday’s feature game at the LTRP Field.
The season will end for two more teams in the earlier elimination semis, Greensburg (14-10-1) facing Claysburg (21-3) at 10 a.m. and DuBois (21-3) meeting Clearfield (18-14) at 1 p.m.
GAME 5
Doubles by Garret Peterson and Mario Gregorio in the first extra inning lifted DuBois to victory after Bushy Run had staved off elimination temporarily with four runs, all unearned, in the bottom of the ninth.
A dramatic two-out, three-run homer by Carlin Crombie had tied the game.
In the bottom of the 10th, Braden Bish came in to log the save after winning pitcher Derek Clark issued a leadoff walk but not before Bushy Run threatened to pull it out. Bish caught Andrew Olesko looking at strike three with the tying run at third and the winning run at first.
DuBois led 7-1 after Peterson blasted a three-run homer to dead center in the fourth inning.
Bushy Run narrowed the gap when Aaron McGee singled home two runs and scored on Ian Lindsay’s hit in the seventh.
A solo homer by Nate Sabados in the top of the ninth proved to be much-needed insurance for DuBois.
Clark gave DuBois six good innings in his first trip to the mound in two seasons. He struck out five, walked three and gave up 10 hits. Only three of the seven runs he allowed were earned.
Sean Sleigh, a first-time starter for DuBois, worked three innings and surrendered six hits and two earned runs.
Peterson’s three hits and five RBIs paced the winners. Jordan LaBue and Tyler Miles had three singles apiece.
For Bushy Run, Crombie rapped four hits while McGee, who belted a solo homer in the first inning, and Corey Lucarelli each had three safeties.
DuBois 310 300 011 1 – 10 14 3
Bushy Run 101 000 304 0 – 9 16 4
Sean Sleigh, Derek Clark (4), Braden Bish (10) and Mario Gregorio; James Contrella, John Hauck (6), Nick Caporoso (10) and Nick Bergamasco, Ian Lindsay (6).
W – Clark. L – Caporoso. Save – Bish.
4 Hits – Carlin Crombie (BR). 3 Hits – Jordan LaBue, Garret Peterson, Tyler Miles (D); Aaron McGee, Corey Lucarelli (BR). 2 Hits – Nate Sabados (D); Bergamasco (BR).
HR – Peterson, Sabados (D); Crombie, McGee (BR). 2B – Peterson, Gregorio (D).
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GAME 6
Greensburg and Somerset combined for 35 hits, 22 by the winners, in their marathon that lasted more than 3-1/2 hours.
In addition, the two teams had 20 walks and left 19 runners on base.
Greensburg, which never trailed after breaking a 2-2 tie with five runs in the second inning, was led by Nick Vottero, Jeff Huczko and Logan Douglas with four hits apiece, Nick Diehl with a home run and two singles and Steve Tucci with three singles.
Vottero drove in four runs, while Diehl and Jordan Truscott each had three RBIs.
For Somerset, Pat Blough had three hits, one a double, and three RBIs and Cody Hemminger homered and singled for three RBIs.
Ron Marino pitched into the seventh for the win, though surrendering 11 hits, seven walks and eight runs.
Greensburg 251 011 521 – 18 22 2
Somerset 221 012 010 – 9 13 4
Ron Marino, Nick Draghi (7) and John Szmed; Drew Hemminger, Cameron Darr (2), Ian Stiffer (6), Cody Hemminger (6), Brendan Urbain (7), Austin Sleek (8) and Gunnar Smith, Cole Christner (9).
W – Marion. L – D. Hemminger.
4 Hits – Jeff Huczko, Logan Douglas, Nick Vottero (G). 3 Hits – Steve Tucci, Nick Diehl (G); Pat Blough (S). 2 Hits – Jordan Truscott (G); C. Hemminger, Sleek, Myles Ream (S).
HR – Diehl (G); C. Hemminger (S). 3B – Truscott (G); Sleek (S). 2B – Huczko, Douglas, Vottero (G); Gunnar Smith, Blough (S).
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GAME 7
The potent State College offense packed all of its runs into the fourth, fifth and six innings to make the winner’s bracket semifinal against Claysburg no contest.
State College’s two-game home run total soared to seven on Austin Mock’s two-run dinger and Shane Regel’s solo shot in the five-run third and Aaron Sallade’s three-run poke in the seven-run fourth.
Mock drove in five runs with two hits and a sacrifice fly and Trey Nicosia contributed four RBIs with a double and a single.
Regel, who also homered Saturday, and Nick Carothers fronted the 17-hit attack with three hits apiece. Will Sefter and Steve Mellott also had pairs of hits.
Brad Holzwarth pitched six innings for the win, striking out eight and walking only one.
Jordan Saylor had three of Bushy Run’s nine hits, two of them doubles.
Score by Innings
Claysburg 100 020 0 – 3 9 4
State College 005 760 x – 18 17 0
Jared Baird, Joey Glass (4), Trey Claar (6) and Zach Morrow; Brad Holzwarth, Aaron Sallade (7) and Shane Regel.
W – Holzwarth. L – Baird.
3 Hits – Jordan Saylor (C); Nick Carothers, Regel (SC). 2 Hits – Dane Diehl (C); Trey Nicosia, Austin Mock, Will Sefter, Sallade (SC).
HR – Mock, Regel, Sallade (SC). 2B – Saylor 2, Morrow (C); Nicosia, Steve Mellott.
