BELLEFONTE – Disappointing was the only way Sid Lansberry could categorize the start to his 40th season as Clearfield Area High School baseball coach Monday.
In contrast, Denny Leathers had to be pleased after his 30th Bellefonte team rolled to a 17-6 victory in 4-1/2 innings in the duel of former Central Penn League rivals.
The series ended when Bellefonte joined the Mountain League two years ago, and the Red Raiders gave the Bisons a rather rude welcome to the loop in the crossover game played in bitterly cold temperatures at the BAHS Field.
The hosts left the Bisons behind at the starting blocks in the 2011 opener, taking advantage of eight walks and one error to give fourth-year starter Robert Gummo a 10-run cushion after one inning.
That was more than the right-hander with a 14-4 career record needed.
Gummo, who registered one of those wins against the Bisons as a freshman, struck out seven and walked two.
Clearfield did get to him for six hits, including two each by losing pitcher Jarrett Fulmer and Tyler Jacobson, but all came after the Bisons were in a 12-0 hole.
They broke through in the third frame on Trevor Flanagan’s two-run single and Jacobson’s RBI-single. An error on Shane Harper’s grounder, Fulmer’s single and a walk to Derek Danver had loaded the bases.
In the fourth, Fulmer doubled to plate Drew Brown, who had walked, and then scored along with Harper on a two-bagger by Danver.
Of the five Bison hurlers, Kurtis Krise was most effective. The sophomore allowed four hits but only one unearned run while striking out three and walking one in 1-2/3 innings.
Fulmer, Flanagan, Jacobson and Ronny Ogden surrendered nine hits, nine walks and 13 earned runs.
Bellefonte had only three hits in its big inning, but one was a grand slam home run by Gummo after Fulmer had walked the first three Red Raiders he faced. Eric Regel homered three pitches later.
Flanagan also had control problems, walking three consecutive batters to force in two runs. Jacobson came on face a bases-loaded, one-out situation and finally quelled the rally, though an error led to two unearned runs on Regel’s single that capped the outburst.
Ogden relieved after the Red Raiders tacked on two runs against Jacobson in the third but couldn’t get out of the fourth and was charged with four runs after issuing a walk and giving up three hits.
Bellefonte batterymates Gummo and Regel combined for five hits and eight RBIs. Taylor Smith added two hits.
Clearfield will play Lewistown in its home opener at the Bison Sports Complex Wednesday and go back on the road Friday to meet Penns Valley at Spring Mills. Both are ML crossover games.
CLEARFIELD — 6
Jarrett Fulmer p-2b 2221, Derek Danver ss 2112, Andrew Redden c 3000, Trevor Flanagan 3b-p-1b 3012, Tyler Jacobson 2b-p-3b 3021, Kyler Kephart 1b 2000, Christian Lezzer rf 1000, Drew Brown lf 2100, Shane Harper cf 2200, Kurtis Krise rf-p 1000, Ronny Ogden p 1000. TOTALS: 22 6 6 6.
BELLEFONTE — 17
Brandon Quay lf 3212, Jordan Fye 3b 0000, Seth Weaver dh 2211, Skylor Wian ph 1000, Matt Watson ss 2212, Robert Gummo p 4125, Eric Regel c 4133, Zach Moerschbacher 1b 2200, Taylor Smith 2b 4220, Travis Struble rf 3411, Brandon Grau cf 3112. TOTALS: 28 17 13 16.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 0 03 30 – 6 6 3
Bellefonte (10)24 1x – 17 13 2
Errors – Fulmer, Danver 2; Moerschbacher, Smith. PB – Redden 2. DP – Bellefonte 1 (Watson and Smith). LOB – Clearfield 4; Bellefonte 9. 2B – Fulmer, Danver, Jacobson; Quay. HR – Gummo, Regel. SB – Fulmer; Moerschbacher, Struble.
Pitching
Clearfield -Fulmer 1/3 IP, 2 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 1 K; Flanagan 0 IP (faced 3 batters in 1st), 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Jacobson 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K; Ogden 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; Krise 1-2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
Bellefonte – Gummo 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K.
W – Gummo (1-0). L – Fulmer (0-1).
