CLEARFIELD – Josh Sorbera rewarded batterymate Thomas Summers’ outstanding pitching effort with a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning that lifted Jim’s Sports Center of Clearfield to an exciting, pivotal 2-1 win over Punxsutawney Monday evening in the VFW Teener Area 6 Tournament’s 13-and-14 division.
Summers, who fashioned a complete-game six-hitter, set the stage for Sorbera’s walk-off hit to short right center by drilling a double down the left field line, chasing pinch-runner Jake Lansberry to third base.
Two pitches later, Sorbera sent Lansberry scampering to the plate and then was mobbed by his teammates along the first base line at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park diamond.
Both teams came out of the fast-paced, well-played game 3-1 in the double round-robin tourney.
As the host team, Punxsutawney is assured of one of Area 6’s two berths in the state tournament later this month.
Avenging last week’s 6-2 loss at Punxsy puts Clearfield one win away from locking up the second one.
Summers saw to that with his second consecutive strong outing on the mound.
The left-hander, who limited Philipsburg-Osceola to five hits and one unearned run last Wednesday, surrendered a two-out run in the first inning when Dakota Byers singled and Brendon Blose doubled to deep left field but then spaced four singles and five of his six walks over the last seven frames.
Punxsutawney had runners aboard in every inning but stranded eight, six in scoring position.
Summers, who had four strikeouts had to contend with only three batters on two occasions, though.
Right fielder Zach Krise doubled a runner off second after catching fly ball in the fourth.
And Summers picked off two runners at first base in the fifth.
Starter Byers kept Clearfield in check until the fifth when Josh Kennedy delivered a clutch hit. His two-out high hopper over the mound sneaked into center field, allowing Logan Puit to race around third with the tying run. Puit reached base on a swinging bunt down the third base line and moved to second on Krise’s single to left.
A strong relay throw from Punxsutawney shortstop Brysen Paulinelli on Sawyer Rowles’ single to center had prevented Clearfield from posting the equalizer in the second inning. He cut down Kushner trying to score from second.
In the seventh, Clearfield threatened twice to end it after Summers’ final strikeout left Punxsutawney runners perched at second and third.
With Noah Cline running for Sorbera, who had reached on an error, Puit blasted a high drive to center that had game-winner written all over it. Until Byers retreated to make a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch, whirled and threw to Paulinelli, who was able to fire to first base for a double play.
Krise followed with a single to center and raced to third when the liner was misplayed. Griffith was ordered to intentionally walk Cole Kephart and Kennedy and then escaped via a forceout.
Punxsutawney was poised to break the tie again in the top of the eighth with runners at second and third and two outs, but Summers retired Byers on an infield pop-up.
Then, Kushner set the wheels in motion for the deciding run by drawing a four-pitch walk from Griffith. One out later, Summers and Sorbera came through with their clutch hits.
Clearfield will close the tourney with road games against Philipsburg-Osceola (2-2) Wednesday and Curwensville (0-4) Friday.
P-O clipped visiting Curwensville 14-4 in six innings Monday.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 1
Brysen Paulinelli ss 2000, Reuban Taylor rf 1000, Dakota Byers p-cf 4110, Brandon Blose 3b 3021, Zack Bevak c 2000, Doug Pollack 2b 3010, Matt Griffith eh-p 2000, Ryan Jones cf 3000, Keesten Perry lf 3010, Lance Pennington 1b 1000, Ethan Ambler ph-1b 2010. TOTALS: 26 1 6 1.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Logan Puit 2b 4120, Zach Krise rf 3020, Cole Kephart ss 3000, Josh Kennedy 3b 2011, Eric Sellers 1b 4000, Kyle Kushner lf 2000, Jake Lansberry pr 0100, Sawyer Rowles cf 3010, Thomas Summers p 1010, C.J. Gathagan pr 0000, Dan Collins dh 2000, Logan Lykens ph 1000, Josh Sorbera 3011, Noah Cline pr 0000. TOTALS: 28 2 8 2.
Score by Innings
Punxsutawney 100 000 00 – 1 6 3
Clearfield 000 010 01 – 2 8 3
Errors – Byers 2, Perry; Kennedy, Kushner, Summers. DP – Punxsutawney 2 (Paulinelli, Pollack and Pennington; Byers, Paulinelli and Bevak); Clearfield 1 (Krise and Kephart). LOB – Punxsutawney 8; Clearfield 12. 2B – Blose; Summers. Sac – Bevak. SB – Paulinelli, Taylor. CS – Paulinelli (by Summers).
Pitching
Punxsutawney – Byers 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 6 K; Griffith 1-1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – Summers 8 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 4 K.
WP – Summers 2. PO – Summers 2 (Jones, Perry).
W – Summers (2-0). L – Griffith (0-1).
Umpires – J.R. Rosselli (plate) and Garry Shirey (bases).
