PHILIPSBURG – After Clearfield came back in the middle innings to forge an 8-8 tie, Philipsburg scored four runs in the fifth frame and went on to grab a 13-8 victory in Central Penn American Legion League action at the Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School Field Thursday evening.
The loss dropped the Chiefs into fifth place at 4-4 in the tough West Division.
Both teams came out swinging with three hits and three runs in the first inning.
For Clearfield, Tanner Ogden cracked a three-run double after Kyle Kephart and Andrew Redden sandwiched singles around a walk to Derek Danver to load the bases.
The Phils, now 4-2 and second in the division, got even when Aaron Lidgett belted a two-run triple and scored on an error.
Four runs in the third off Clearfield starter Ronny Ogden gave Philipsburg its first lead, but the Chiefs responded with a three-spot in the fourth and Kephart’s two-run single in the top of the fifth to knot the score.
Again, the Phils quickly answered with four hits to pin the loss on Kephart as Robbie Smith, Parker Watson and Cody Lee delivered run-scoring singles.
Seven of the runs off Ronny Ogden and Kephart were unearned. They combined to strike out 10.
Tanner Ogden, Kephart and Redden had two hits apiece for Clearfield.
Lee and Derek Greene paced Philipsburg’s 14-hit attack with three singles apiece. Lidgett tripled twice for three RBIs. Smith and Watson added pairs of singles.
Greg Belko, the third Phil pitcher, picked up the win. He gave up Kephart’s game-tying hit but blanked the Chiefs in the last two innings.
Clearfield will return to the Don Womer Complex this weekend for the 2012 Pennsylvania Wood Bat Championship Tournament.
The Chiefs will take a 5-4 record into Friday’s 10 a.m. opener against Albion Legion and are paired against Nor-Gwyn at 3 p.m.
On Saturday, Clearfield will meet Corning, N.Y., Gray at 10 a.m. and Key Stone at 12:30 p.m.
CLEARFIELD — 8
Kyler Kephart 1b-p 5-1-2-2, Derek Danver ss 3-1-1-1, Andrew Redden c 3-1-2-0, Jon Janocko 3b-1b 4-0-0-0, Devin Jones 1b 0-0-0-0, Tanner Ogden cf 4-1-2-3, Ronny Ogden p-rf 3-1-0-0, Cole Kephart 2b 2-0-1-0, Wyatt Westen rf-3b 2-2-0-0, Derek Hryn ph 1-0-0-0, Curtis Collins lf 1-1-0-1, Matt Josephson ph-lf 1-0-1-0. TOTALS: 29-8-9-7.
PHILIPSBURG — 13
Robbie Smith 2b 4-2-2-1, Parker Watson cf 4-3-2-1, Cody Lee 3b 4-2-3-2, Aaron Lidgett lf 4-2-2-3, Curtis Baugh ss 3-2-1-0, Shane Hoover rf 2-1-0-0, Billy Edminson ph 1-0-1-1, Cody Ammerman 1b 2-0-0-0, Luther Harlow 1b 1-0-0-0, Brian Matthews ph 1-0-0-0, Derek Greene c 3-1-3-1, Josh Dotts ph 1-0-0-0, Taylor Golemboski dh 2-0-0-0, Kyle Johns dh 2-0-0-0, Caleb Pepperday p 0-0-0-0, Jake Belinda p 0-0-0-0, Greg Belko p 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 34-13-14-9.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 300 320 0 – 8 9 4
Philipsburg 304 141 x – 13 14 0
Errors – Janocko, T. Ogden 2, Josephson. LOB – Clearfield 9; Philipsburg 5. 2B – Danver, Redden, T. Ogden. 3B – Lidgett 2. SF – Danver. SB – Baugh.
Pitching
Clearfield – R. Ogden 3 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 4 K; K. Kephart 3 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
Philipsburg – Pepperday 3+ IP (faced 3 batters in 4th), 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Belinda 1-2/3 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K; Belko p 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
HB – R. Ogden 1 (Baugh); Belinda 1 (C. Kephart), Belko 1 (C. Kephart). WP – K. Kephart 1; Pepperday 1, Belinda 2. Balk – K. Kephart 1.
W – Belko. L – K. Kephart (1-2).