CLEARFIELD – DuBois remained in the thick of the Central Penn American Legion League West Division race and kept Clearfield’s chase for the playoffs on hold with a 6-3 win at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Tuesday evening.
The loss was the third in a row for the Chiefs, who have tumbled into fourth place at 7-7 after climbing into the top spot late last week.
Nick Bontempo initiated the scoring with a two-run home run in the third inning and capped a four-run outburst with a sacrifice fly in the fourth for DuBois (7-5).
Singles by Mark Walker, Justin Sleigh and winning pitcher Garrett Brown and a key double by Ryan Walker had produced the first three runs off loser Ronny Ogden in the fourth frame.
Kyler Kephart relieved and kept the visitors in check after giving up Bonempo’s sac fly, but the Chiefs were unable to come back.
They managed only one run off Brown after Coleman Kubala, Wyatt Westen and Curtis Collins singled with one out in the bottom of the fourth.
When Andrew Redden led off the lower fifth with his first homer of the season, Pat Sayers replaced Brown on the mound and retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, six via strikeouts, to earn a save.
Westen, who singled in the sixth, was the only Chief to reach base against Sayers.
Redden, who singed for an RBI in the third frame, Kubala and Westen each had two of Clearfield’s nine hits.
For DuBois, Ryan Walker pounded two doubles, Nate Liddle singled and doubled and Mark Walker and Brown added two singles apiece.
Clearfield (10-9) ends the regular season Monday with a home game against Altoona.
CPL West Division Standings – DuBois 7-4, State College 8-5, Philipsburg 7-5, Clearfield 7-7, Hollidaysburg 6-6, Altoona 2-7.
DUBOIS — 6
Nick Bontempo cf 4-1-1-3, Jarrod Baummer c 3-0-0-0, Nate Liddle ss 3-0-2-0, Sean Sleigh lf 3-0-1-0, Mark Walker 1b 4-1-2-0, Justin Sleigh 3b 3-1-1-0, Josh Hayes 3b 0-0-0-0, Garrett Brown p-2b 4-1-2-1, Ryan Walker rf 3-2-2-2, Pat Sayers p 0-0-0-0, Lake Lander 2b 1-0-0-0, Devon Walker 2b-rf 3-0-1-0. TOTALS: 31-6-12-6.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Kyler Kephart 2b-p 4-0-0-1, Tanner Ogden cf 4-0-0-0, Andrew Redden 4-1-2-2, Ronny Ogden p-rf 4-0-1-0, Cole Kephart ss 2-0-1-0, Jon Janocko 1b 2-0-0-0, Coleman Kubala 3b 3-1-2-0, Wyatt Westen rf-2b 3-0-2-0, Curtis Collins lf 3-1-1-0. TOTALS: 29-3-9-0.
Score by Innings
DuBois 002 400 0 – 6 12 0
Clearfield 001 110 0 – 3 9 0
DP – Clearfield 1 (C. Kephart and Janocko). LOB – DuBois 10; Clearfield 7. 2B – Liddle, S. Sleigh, Brown 2. HR – Bontempo; Redden (1). SB – Kubala.
Pitching
DuBois – Brown 4+ IP (faced 1 batter in 5th), 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Sayers 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.
Clearfield – R. Ogden 3+ IP (faced 4 batters in 4th), 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; K. Kephart 4 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 K.
WP – Brown 1.
W – Brown. L – R. Ogden (2-2). Save – Sayers.