HYDE – Like many teams in the region, the Clearfield Bisons have been held hostage by the weatherman during preseason and the first two weeks of the 2011 campaign, with four games postponed a combined seven times.
The effects of a 13-day layoff since their only game, during which the Red and Black spent very limited time even practicing on the Bison Sports Complex Field, showed Monday in their Mountain League Allegheny Division opener.
The Bisons (0-2) had only one big hit, a booming two-run homer by Andrew Redden, and surrendered five unearned runs that were the difference in a 9-4 loss to Tyrone (2-4).
The Golden Eagles, coming off a split in two Altoona Curve Classic games Saturday, jumped in front right away, and the Bisons were unable to answer, though eight walks and a hit batsman by winning pitcher Jake Belinda and four miscues provided them with several opportunities.
“I think, definitely, they were sharper,” longtime Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry said. “But, in all fairness, March 28 was the last time we played.
“We’ve really been unlucky with the weather. We’re out here practicing every day, but it’s not the same.
“Not to make any excuses, because we still have to hit better.”
Infield singles by Trevor Flanagan and Shane Harper were Clearfield’s only safeties after Redden sliced Tyrone’s 4-0 start in half by blasting a Belinda fastball to center in the bottom of the first inning.
Flanagan’s slow roller to the left side plated Drew Brown, aboard via an error, with the final Bison run in the sixth frame.
Belinda, who struck out five and didn’t give up a hit after Redden’s dinger, had walked Harper with the bases loaded to force in Clearfield’s other run, also unearned, in the fifth.
The Bisons just couldn’t capitalize on the sophomore right-hander’s wildness.
When he plunked Jarrett Fulmer after Brown’s grounder was booted in the sixth, Jordan Miller relieved and continued to keep the Clearfield bats quiet with his slower offerings.
The Bisons failed to get the ball out of the infield against the freshman southpaw, available because there was no junior varsity game.
Both hits were slow rollers on the soft BSC surface.
“We didn’t hit a lot of balls hard, really,” Lansberry said.
Tyrone didn’t either in grabbing the early lead.
Three walks and Corbin Nevling-Ray’s swinging bunt got the Golden Eagles on the board, and Jesse Shaffer’s grounder sneaked past shortstop Derek Danver for a two-run single. An error on a ball John Kimberling beat into the dirt gave the visitors their fourth run.
“Three walks and two nubbers, and they get four runs,” Lansberry said. “And even the ball that got through, Derek slipped going after that.
“This field’s not playable, but I figured this would be our eighth rainout and we ought to try to play. As it turned out, it was all right. It definitely had an affect on the game, but both ways.”
Fulmer recovered to keep the Golden Eagles in check until the fifth when Belinda hustled out a triple on a towering drive to dead center that a sudden gale-like wind carried to the wall and scored on J.D. Dorminy’s grounder that was misplayed.
“In Harper’s defense, the wind kicked up right before that,” Lansberry said. “Ordinarily, he’ll catch that ball.”
Dorminy came around on a single by Ian Murray, a groundout and a sacrifice fly by Shaffer to make it 6-2.
Tyrone tacked on three unearned runs off reliever Tyler Jacobson in the sixth when the Bisons bungled a rundown play on a failed suicide squeeze attempt and Belinda capped a 3-for-3 day by lining a two-run homer over the fence in left.
Fulmer, tagged with his second loss, surrendered four hits and didn’t walk anybody after the rocky first inning.
“I don’t think Fulmer pitched too badly,” Lansberry said. “Bottom line, we’re not gonna win unless we hit better than we did today.
“I hope it’s because we haven’t played.”
The Bisons will play three more games this week if the weatherman cooperates. They’ll be home again Wednesday against Philipsburg-Osceola before taking on Penns Valley at Spring Mills in a make-up game Thursday and Central Mountain at Mill Hall Friday.
TYRONE — 9
Korry Cowher ss 4110, Jordan Faretta 2b 3100, Jake Belinda p-3b 3332, J.D. Dorminy cf 3201, Ian Murray rf 4020, Corbin Nevling-Ray c 4111, Jesse Shaffer 3b 2023, Jordan Miller p 1000, John Kimberling 1b 3110, Markus Wagner lf 2000, Kolten Taylor ph 1000, Courtland Pannebaker lf 1000. TOTALS: 30 9 10 7.
CLEARFIELD — 4
Jarrett Fulmer p-2b 2000, Derek Danver ss 2100, Andrew Redden c 3212, Trevor Flanagan 3b-1b 3011, Tyler Jacobson 2b-p-3b 3000, Kurtis Krise rf 2000, Tanner Ogden ph-rf 2000, Shane Harper 3011, Coleman Kubala 1b 0000, Ronny Ogden p 0000, Steve Miller dh 4000, Drew Brown lf 2100. TOTALS: 26 4 3 4.
Runs by Innings
Tyrone 400 023 0 – 9 10 4
Clearfield 200 011 0 – 4 3 4
E – Faretta 2, Shaffer 2; Fulmer, Danver 2, Flanagan. PB – Nevling-Ray. DP – Tyrone 1 (Faretta, Cowher and Kimberling); Clearfield 1 (Brown, Flanagan, Redden and Danver). LOB – Tyrone 4; Clearfield 10. 2B – Cowher, Kimberling. 3B – Belinda. HR – Belinda; Redden (1). SF – Shaffer. SB – Kimberling; Fulmer, Harper. CS – Murray 2 (by Redden).
Pitching
Tyrone – Belinda 5+ IP (faced 2 batters in 6th), 1 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 5 K; Miller 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Fulmer 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; Jacobson 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K; R. Ogden 1-1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
HB – Belinda 1 (Fulmer). WP – Fulmer 1.
W – Belinda. L – Fulmer (0-2).
Umpires – Gary Kost (plate) and Jay Siegel (bases).