CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team couldn’t beat DuBois during the Jefferson County League regular season.
The Chiefs were outscored 45-8 in the three losses, two ending prematurely because of the 12-run Mercy Rule.
But Monday afternoon, facing elimination from the Region 7 Tournament, manager Sid Lansberry’s club got the job done to surprise the JCL champions 8-7 at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field.
Clutch hits by Andrew Redden and Justin Hoffman in the early innings, outstanding relief pitching by Ronny Ogden and Chad Zurat and solid defense were keys for the Chiefs (19-14).
Everything considered, Lansberry rated the overall performance as the season’s best.
“We had some good games, like when we beat Philipsburg in our tournament, but this had more significance,” he said.
Clearfield’s reward for the thrilling victory is a 4 p.m. semifinal game Tuesday against State College (33-7). The Central Penn League kingpins have steamrolled their way into the favorite’s role for the double-elimination tourney with three high-scoring wins.
Lansberry didn’t anticipate his pitchers keeping DuBois (21-4) in single digits, so he was happy the Chiefs got to starter Eric Liddle for four runs in the first inning.
“That was really important because, going into the game, I think it was in the back of the kids’ minds that we had lost to them three times this summer by lopsided scores,” he said. “Jumping out early gave us a psychological edge.”
Jarrett Fulmer triggered the rally by looping Liddle’s first offering over shortstop Jordan LaBue. After Derek Danver bounce into a forceout, Corey Bookhamer sent a spinning roller down the third base line that just nicked the outside of the bag for a double.
The Chiefs didn’t waste the good break as Redden ripped a single through the middle for two runs and Hoffman shocked his teammates and the hometown fans with a two-run homer to left center. The right fielder later said it was his first home run since he was a Little Leaguer in Frenchville.
DuBois responded with six runs in the top of the second off Fulmer, who was making only his second start.
Garret Peterson’s two-run single was the big hit as the visitors parlayed three singles with three walks and three errors in the frame.
Two runs were unearned because of Clearfield’s only defensive breakdown of the game.
Lansberry opted to bring in Ogden with two runners aboard and still only one out.
“Fulmer deserved a better fate,” Lansberry said. “All those runs weren’t his fault. He could have been out of that inning.
It was a situation where we had to change at that point.”
The move paid off as Ogden got two quick outs, one a sacrifice fly by Dante DeSantis and the other a great catch in deep center by Zurat.
The lanky righty went on to stifle the hard-hitting DuBois lineup over the next four innings before DeSantis socked a one-out homer to left in the seventh for the final run of the game.
Ogden walked none and gave up only three hits in his five innings.
“Ronny had ’em off balance,” Lansberry said. “They were hitting the ball in the air, and we were making plays.”
The Chiefs tied it with two runs in the lower second, the first on back-to-back doubles by Fulmer and Danver.
Bookhamer singled to center, but a strong throw by Nate Sabados made Danver stop as he neared the plate. The Clearfield shortstop stayed in the rundown long enough for the hustling Bookhamer to reach third base.
Redden then slashed a double into the right field corner to make it 6-6.
“I probably shouldn’t have sent Danver but, initially, I thought he could score,” Lansberry said. “He couldn’t tell if the ball would be caught, and he did the right thing. He hesitated.
“Once he got in the rundown, that was excellent on his part, and on Bookhamer’s part for getting to third. Then Redden got the hit to bail us out.
“That was real critical getting those runs.”
Southpaw curveballer John Georgino held Clearfield to three hits in his three-plus innings, but two came in the fifth.
Hoffman dropped a double on the right field line and scored the go-ahead run when Kyle Timchak reached on an error.
Timchak moved up on Zurat’s single into left but was thrown out at third trying to advance on a wild pitch. Zurat took second on the play and was at third on a wild pitch when Tyler Jacobson drew a walk.
With Ogden hitting, the Chiefs then executed a much-practiced play for what proved to be the winning run as Jacobson broke for second, getting into a rundown long enough for Zurat to sprint to the plate.
“You’ve got to take your chances there,” Lansberry explained. “Chad, good speed, at third. Smart runner on first. Jacobson took off at the right time. Luckily, it worked.”
When DeSantis homered and Sabados doubled up the right center alley in the seventh, Lansberry summoned Zurat, and he set down five consecutive batters before Derek Clark singled leading off the ninth.
The dangerous Peterson, who had three hits, shot a grounder to the right side that Fulmer gobbled up on a tough chance to start a doubleplay with Danver the pivotman and Bookhamer stretching to the outfield side of first base to snare the wide throw.
“That was Major League,” Lansberry describing the twinkilling.
Zurat punctuated his save for Ogden’s win by getting DeSantis to pop up.
“That’s a big win for our kids,” Lansberry said. “I think the bottom line is Ogden coming in, great relief stint in the middle innings, and then having Chad come back after throwing nine innings on Saturday.
“In that last inning, he had to faced 2-3-4. That’s a pretty tough lineup to face in that situation.”
DUBOIS — 7
Jordan LaBue ss 5111, Derek Clark 2b-rf 4111, Garret Peterson 1b 5032, Dante DeSantis lf 3112, Nate Sabados cf 4120, Mario Gregorio c 4000, Braden Bish 3b-p 3100, Sean Sleigh rf-3b 3111, Tyler Miles dh 2100, Brandon Palumbo 2b 1000, Eric Liddle p 0000, John Georgino p 0000. TOTALS: 34 8 9 7.
CLEARFIELD — 8
Jarrett Fulmer p-2b 3120, Derek Danver ss 3111, Corey Bookhamer 1b 4220, Andrew Redden c 4133, Justin Hoffman rf 4222, Kyle Timchak lf 4010, Chad Zurat cf-p 4110, Tyler Jacobson 3b 3000, Luke Peterson 2b 0000, Ronny Ogden p 3000, Shane Harper cf 0000. TOTALS: 32 8 12 6.
Score by Innings
DuBois 060 000 100 – 7 9 1
Clearfield 420 020 00x – 8 12 3
Errors – Clark; Danver, Bookhamer, Timchak. LOB – DuBois 6; Clearfield 5. 2B – Peterson, Sabados; Fulmer, Danver, Bookhamer, Redden; Hoffman. HR – DeSantis; Hoffman. SB – Zurat. CS – LaBue (by Redden); Jacobson (by Georgino).
Pitching
DuBois – Liddle 1-1/3 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Georgino 3-2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K; Bish 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
Clearfield – Fulmer 1-1/3 IP, 5 H, 6 R< 4 ER< 3 BB, 0 K; Ogden 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K; Zurat 2-2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K.
HB – Ogden 2 (DeSantis, Sleigh). WP – Liddle 1, Georgino 1; Fulmer 1.
W – Ogden (2-2). L – Georgino. Save – Zurat.
Umpires – Scott Viehdorfer (plate), Dave Neal (bases).