PUNXSUTAWNEY – District 9 Class AAA rival Punxsutawney scored at least two runs in every inning except one to pin a 12-6 loss on the Clearfield Area High School baseball team in a non-league game at Rich Kuntz Memorial Field Monday.
The visiting Bisons caused a lot of their own problems with nine walks, one hit batsman and three errors in falling to 1-3.
They kept it close with three-run rallies in the third and fourth innings off of reliever and winner Dane Baker but were unable to break through against starter Luke Janocha and closer Ryan Sloninger, who pitched two shutout frames each.
Down 2-0, Clearfield had Janocha in trouble in the second when Ronny Ogden singled and Jon Janocko and Thomas Summers drew walks to load the bases with no outs.
However, Janocha responded with two of his four strikeouts and induced an inning-ending pop-up.
Punxsy (3-1) increased its lead to 4-0 against Kurtis Krise before the Bisons got to Baker in the third.
After Kyler Kephart singled, Tanner Ogden and Coleman Kubala walked to fill the sacks. Then, Ronny Ogden singled, Janocko walked and Summers hit a sacrifice fly to drive in runs.
The Chucks answered with four runs, but the Bisons closed the gap to 8-6 in the fourth on a walk, singles by Kephart and Tanner Ogden, a sacrifice fly by Kubala and a double by Ronny Ogden.
Baker ended his stint with a 1-2-3 inning, thanks to a double play, before Sloninger came on to keep the Bisons in check, giving up one hit and one walk.
Ronny Ogden and Kephart accounted for five of Clearfield’s seven hits.
Krise took the loss in his first start of the season. Janocko and Ronny Ogden followed him to the mound.
The trio surrendered 12 hits, with Sloninger, Ty and Garrett Zimmerman, Jamie Bush and Cory Geer notching two apiece for the Chucks.
The Bisons will host Huntingdon Wednesday in their Mountain League Allegheny Division opener.
CLEARFIELD — 6
Cole Kephart ss 3100, Kyler Kephart 2b 3220, Tanner Ogden cf 2210, Coleman Kubala 3b 2101, Ronny Ogden lf-p 4033, Jon Janocko 1b-p-1b 2001, Kurtis Krise p-1b 000, Thomas Summers dh 2011, Matt Josephson rf 0000, Wyatt Westen rf-lf 4000, Jonas Kochan c 1000, Josh Sorbera c 3000. TOTALS: 26 6 7 6.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 12
Dane Baker cf-p-c 5211, Ryan Sloninger c-p 3322, Ty Zimmerman ss 4321, Garrett Zimmerman lf 4023, Jamie Bush 1b 3021, Luke Janocha p-cf 2000, Taylor Phillips rf 0000, Alex Bevak dh 3110, Mike Klingensmith 2b 3100, Cory Geer 3b 3221. TOTALS: 30 12 12 9.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 003 300 0 – 6 7 3
Punxsutawney 224 202 x – 12 12 1
Errors – C. Kephart, R. Ogden, Krise; Geer. PB – Kochan 1, Sorbera 1. DP- Punxsutawney 1 (T. Zimmerman, Klingensmith and Bush). LOB – Clearfield 9; Punxsutawney 11. 2B – R. Ogden; Sloninger, Geer. SF – Kubala, Summers; G. Zimmerman. SB – Baker 2, Sloninger, T. Zimmerman 2, Klingensmith.
Pitching
Clearfield – Krise 1-1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 2 K; Janocko 1-1/3 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; R. Ogden 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Punxsutawney – Janocha 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K; Baker 3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K; Sloninger 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
HB – Janocko 1 (T. Zimmerman). Balk – Janocko 1.
W – Baker. L – Krise (0-1).
Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/23 | @ Norfolk Collegiate HS | 9 – 10 | 0 – 1 |
| 3/27 | BELLEFONTE | 13 – 15 | 0 – 2 |
| 3/30 | PENNS VALLEY | 3 – 1 | 1 – 3 |
| 4/02 | @ Punxsutawney | 6 – 12 | 1 – 4 |
| 4/04 | HUNTINGDON |