PHILIPSBURG – Clearfield remained in the hunt for the 13-and-14 title in the VFW Area Teener Tournament and, more importantly, clinched a trip to the state tourney by defeating Philipsburg-Osceola 4-2 at the Powerhouse Grounds Wednesday evening.
C.J. Gathagan toughed out a complete-game seven-hitter in the sweltering heat to assure the Jim’s Sports Center-sponsored team one of Area 6’s two berths.
Punxsutawney was guaranteed a slot because it is hosting next weekend’s event.
Clearfield and Punsutawney, which won 18-8 at Curwensville Wednesday, will take 4-1 records into the Area 6 finales Friday.
If they remain tied, the championship will be determined by fewest runs allowed since they split their home-and-home series.
The co-leaders have surrendered 17 runs apiece.
Gathagan was able to keep P-O in check despite having to make the majority of his 116 pitches with runners aboard, the losers stranding 10.
His only 1-2-3 inning was the fourth, but the first two outs came after he fell behind 3-0.
The right-hander went to three-ball counts on eight other batters, walking six.
However, he logged five of his seven strikeouts with runners on base and prevented the hosts from driving the ball into the outfield when they had scoring opportunities.
Gathagan handled three pop-ups himself, including one by clean-up batter Nate Kerlin for the second out in the seventh inning after Jesse Martin doubled down the third base line and Ryan Kost walked.
Lewis Jones bounced a single into right for P-O’s second run, scoring Martin and bringing the winning run to the plate, but shortstop Logan Puit made an outstanding lunging, tumbling grab off Derek Shaw’s slicing liner for the game-ending out.
Clearfield ran into a much different team than the one it beat 29-1 a week earlier but got enough hits in key situations to prevail against Kerlin, who fanned five and walked five.
In the first inning, Cole Kephart’s double to the left field fence plated Zach Krise, who had singled and stolen second base.
In the third frame, Gathagan dropped a two-out single behind third base to put Clearfield in front to stay, 2-1, after Josh Kennedy singled throw the middle and Eric Sellers sacrificed.
In the fifth, Puit found the hole on the left side for an RBI following a walk to pinch-hitter Dan Collins and a P-O misplay on Josh Sorbera’s bunt. Sorbera scored on Krise’s forceout.
P-O tied the score 1-1 in the second inning when Martin drew a four-pitch walk after a single by Shaw, a Clearfield error on Walker Williams’ sacrifice bunt and a walk to Ben Johnson.
Tanner Wilson just missed putting P-O ahead, but third baseman Kennedy dipped to spear his low, hooking liner.
Both teams lost their No. 3 batters via ejections for bowling over catchers instead of sliding on plays at the plate.
Clearfield’s Kephart was out on the back end of a double steal attempt in the first inning, while P-O’s Vince McDowell was cut down trying to score on Jones’ groundout in the third.
Clearfield also had a double play in the first when Puit ranged to his left for Wilson’s grounder after Martin led off with an infield single.
Puit and Krise had two hits apiece for Clearfield, while Martin and Shaw each had a pair for P-O.
Clearfield visits Curwensville (0-5) while P-O (2-3) goes to Punxsutawney Friday.
CLEARFIELD — 4
Logan Puit 3b-ss 3021, Zach Krise rf 4121, Cole Kephart ss 1011, Thomas Summers eh 2000, Josh Kennedy eh-3b 3110, Eric Sellers 1b 0000, Jake Lansberry pr 0000, Kyle Kushner lf 3010, C.J. Gathagan p 2011, Logan Lykens ph 1000, Sawyer Rowles cf 3000, Noah Cline 2b 2100, Dan Collins ph 0000, Josh Sorbera c 2100. TOTALS: 26 4 8 4.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — 2
Jesse Martin rf 2121, Tanner Wilson ss 3000, Taggert Meek 1b 1000, Vince McDowell 1b 0000, Ryan Kost lf 1000, Nate Kerlin p 4000, Lewis Jones c-ss 4011, Derek Shaw lf-3b-c 4120, Walker Williams cf 2010, Brandon Zwick 2b 3000, Mitch Winters 3b-1b-3b 1000, Ben Johnson dh 1000. TOTALS: 26 2 7 2.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 100 120 0 – 4 8 2
Philipsburg-Osceola 010 000 1 – 2 7 2
Errors – Kennedy 2; Kerlin, Zwick. PB – Jones 1, Shaw 1. DP – Clearfield 2 (Puit and Sellers; Kennedy, Sellers and Sorbera). LOB – Clearfield 8; Philipsburg-Osceola 10. 2B – Puit, Kephart; Martin. Sac – Sellers, Sorbera; Williams. SB – Krise. CS – Puit (by Jones).
Pitching
Clearfield – Gathagan 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 7 K.
Philipsburg-Osceola – Kerlin 7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K.
HB – Kerlin 1 (Puit). WP – Gathagan 1; Kerlin 1.
W – Gathagan (2-1). L – Kerlin (0-2).
Umpires – Ryan Soltis (plate) and Tom Scalzo (bases).