MILESBURG – Led by senior Kyler Kephart and sophomore Wyatt Westen, the Clearfield Area High School baseball team halted a four-game slide with a 7-4 victory over host Bald Eagle Area Friday afternoon.
Kephart pitched six strong innings, striking out three and walking only one, before tiring; while Wyatt Westen drove in three runs with a pair of singles and then came on to close the Mountain League cross-over game by retiring all three Eagles he faced for his first save.
The win was the second for Kephart, who carried a four-hitter into the seventh inning, when the Eagles rallied with four consecutive hits.
After Cole Long singled, Bryce and Bryan Greene socked back-to-back RBI-triples. Jeff Koleno’s second hit chased Kephart, with Bryan Greene remaining at third base.
Westen relieved and induced a run-scoring grounder and a pop-up before ending it with a strikeout.
The Bisons had jumped in front in the second frame when walks to Coleman Kubala and Thomas Summers around a single by Jon Janocko loaded the bases for Westen, who lined a single to left field for two runs.
BEA (6-4) got one run back on Ryan Dyke’s RBI-single, but Clearfield (3-7) answered with a four-run salvo against loser Nate Cleaver in the third.
Singles by Tanner and Ronny Ogden trigged the uprising, and Kubala drew another free pass to fill the sacks. Janocko delivered a sacrifice fly and Summers, Westen and Kephart came through with run-scoring hits.
An error enabled the Bisons to add their final run in the fifth as singles by Summers, Curtis Collins and Cole Kephart chased Janocko around the bases.
The Bisons wound up with 13 singles, two each by the Kyler Kephart, the Ogdens, Summers and Westen.
Kephart extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Clearfield is booked for three games next week, Monday at home against Juniata, Wednesday at Huntingdon and Friday at Central.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Kyler Kephart p-2b 4021, Cole Kephart ss 5011, Tanne Ogden lf 5120, Ronny Ogden rf 4120, Michael Wood pr 0000, Coleman Kubala 3b 2200, Jon Janocko 1b 4211, Jonas Kochan c 0000, Thomas Summers dh 2121, Wyatt Westen 2b-p 3023, Christian Flood pr 0000, Curtis Collins lf 4010. TOTALS: 33 7 13 7.
BALD EAGLE AREA — 4
Bryan Greene c 4111, Jeff Koleno cf 4020, Logan Reese lf 4011, Dylan Womer rf 4110, Nate Cleaver p 1000, Jon Romine p 2000, Gage Gardner 2b 3000, Ryan Dyuke 3b 3011, Cole Long 1b 3110, Bryce Greene ss 3111. TOTALS: 31 4 8 4.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 0234 010 0 – 7 13 3
Bald Eagle Area 0010 000 3 – 4 8 1
Errors – C. Kephart 2, Westen; Bryce Greene. DP – Bald Eagle Area 1 (Gardner, Bryce Greene and Long). LOB – Clearfield 11, Bald Eagle Area 6. 3B – Bryan Greene, Bryce Greene. SF – Janocko. SB – Wood.
Pitching
Clearfield – K. Kephart 6+ IP (faced 4 batters in 7th), 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; Westen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, o ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Bald Eagle Area – Cleaver 4-1/3 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K; Romine 2-2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
HB – Cleaver 1 (K. Kephart).
W – K. Kephart (2-3). L – Cleaver. Save – Westen (1).
Bison Baseball 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 – 2 |
| 4/02 | @ Punxsutawney | 6 – 12 | 1 – 3 |
| 4/04 | HUNTINGDON | 18 – 14 | 2 – 3 |
| 4/09 | CENTRAL | 13 – 16 | 2 – 4 |
| 4/11 | @ Tyrone | 0 – 3 | 2 – 5 |
| 4/13 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 8 – 12 | 2 – 6 |
| 4/16 | CENTRAL MOUNTAIN | 3 – 10 | 2 – 7 |
| 4/20 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 7 – 4 | 3 – 7 |
| 4/23 | JUNIATA | ||
| 4/25 | @ Huntingdon | ||
| 4/27 | @ Central |