CLEARFIELD – Five-run outbursts in the first two innings enabled the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team to cruise past defending Central Penn League champion Mifflin County 10-4 at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Sunday evening.
Staked to the big lead, Wyatt Westen went the distance on the hill for his first victory to give the Chiefs a three-game winning streak and a 3-2 start in the CPL.
He hurled an eight-hitter, striking out three and walking three.
Fronting Clearfield’s season-high 14-hit attack were Tanner Ogden with a double and two singles and Kyler Kephart and Andrew Redden with three singles apiece.
Jon Janocko chipped in with two singles, while Kephart, Coleman Kubala and Ronny Ogden each had two runs batted in.
Zach Yetter, the first of four Mifflin County pitchers, bore the brunt of the Clearfield offense, surrendering eight hits, three walks and nine runs.
The big left-hander also plunked Kephart to force in the fifth run in the first inning, when the Chiefs sent 11 batters to the plate.
The first five rapped hits, with Redden and Janocko knocking in runs. Later, Kubala and Ronny Ogden picked up gift RBIs with bases-loaded walks.
In the next frame, Yetter exited after consecutive hits by Redden, Janocko and Tanner Ogden and a second RBI walk to Kubala.
Righty Hayden Snook relieved but couldn’t keep the Chiefs out of double digits as hit Cole Kephart send Janocko home and gave up run-scoring singles by Ronny Ogden and Kyler Kephart around a double play that allowed Kubala to score.
Mifflin County (1-3) posted two runs in the third inning and one in the fifth but stranded two runners in the fourth and sixth frames.
Westen quelled the latter threats with strikeouts and finished strong, inducing a forceout for the first out in the sixth and then retiring the final five Mifflin County batters.
Isaac Strohecker led the visitors with two doubles and a single, one RBI and two runs scored. Heath Hidlay had a pair of RBI doubles.
Clearfield shortstop Derek Danver turned in two defensive gems, one on Colton Craig’s grounder in the hole for the second out in the fourth inning that preceded hits by Logan Swineford and Joey Knepp and the other on Harshbarger’s slow roller behind the mound in the fifth.
The Chiefs, 4-2 overall, face three road trips this week for league games at Hollidaysburg Tuesday, State College Wednesday and Penns Valley Friday.
MIFFLIN COUNTY — 4
Aaron Michaels cf 2-2-0-0, Isaac Strohecker 2b 4-2-3-1, Heath Hidlay ss 4-0-2-2, Hayden Snook 1b-p-1b 4-0-0-1, Zach Yetter p-1b 2-0-0-0, Doug Harshbarger p-rf 1-0-0-0, Cy Treaster c 2-0-0-0, Colton Craig 3b 3-0-1-0, Logan Swineford rf-p 3-0-1-0, Joey Knepp lf 3-0-1-0. TOTALS: 28-4-8-4.
CLEARFIELD — 10
Kyler Kephart dh 4-1-3-2, Derek Danver ss 4-1-1-0, Andrew Redden c-lf 4-2-3-1, Jon Janocko 1b 4-2-2-1, Zach Timchak pr 0-0-0-0, Tanner Ogden cf 3-2-3-0, Coleman Kubala 3b 2-1-0-2, Cole Kephart 2b 3-1-1-1, Ronny Ogden rf 2-0-1-2, Matt Josephson rf 0-0-0-0, Curtis Collins lf 3-0-0-0, Jonas Kochan c 1-0-0-0. TOTALS: 30-10-14-9.
Score by Innings
Mifflin County 102 010 0 – 4 8 0
Clearfield 550 000 x – 10 14 0
PB – Treaster 1; Redden 1. DP – Mifflin County 1 (Hidlay, Strohecker and Snook). LOB – Mifflin County 6; Clearfield 8. 2B – Strohecker 2, Hidlay 2; T. Ogden. Sac – R. Ogden. SB – Michaels.
Pitching
Mifflin County – Yetter 1+ IP (faced 4 batters in 2nd), 8 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Snook 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K; Harshbarger 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K; Swineford 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Westen 7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.
HB – Yetter 1 (K. Kephart), Snook 1 (C. Kephart).
W – Westen (1-1). L – Yetter.
Umpires – Brad Keefer (plate) and Rob Morgan (bases).
