PUNXSUTAWNEY — Wise Eyes of Clearfield roared back from a first-round loss to capture the VFW Teener Area VI 15-16 Tournament crown with a trio of abbreviated, one-sided victories at Rich Kuntz Memorial Field Saturday and Sunday.
The champs eliminated Curwensville, 15-2, and Philipsburg, 19-2, in five-inning games Saturday and then blitzed Punxsutawney 23-8 in less than four innings Sunday.
With both finalists assured of a trip to the state tourney at Lebanon Aug. 3-5, the coaches agreed to play only one game.
Wise Eyes made it a no-doubter in avenging Friday’s 7-6 loss, batting around in the first, second and fourth frames.
The game ended in walk-off fashion when Josh Kennedy singled to plate Josh Sorbera with only one out in the bottom of the fourth for the 15-run Mercy Rule win.
Skipper Sid Lansberry’s team sprayed 21 hits off three Punxsy pitchers, including four each by Kennedy and Sorbera, who knocked in six runs from the No. 9 hole.
Jon Janocko and Sawyer Rowles cracked three hits apiece while Cole Kephart, Curtis Collins and Zach Timchak singled twice.
Every Wise Eyes batter had at least one RBI, with Spencer Herrington recording four, Kennedy logging three and Kephart, Janocko, Rowles and Timchak adding two each.
Clearfield’s lone hiccup in the three wins was a four-error first inning that allowed Punxsy to take a short-lived 4-0 lead against Devin Jones.
After Matt Burkett got two quick outs on grounders, Kennedy sparked a six-run outburst with a double to deep center. Herrington and Sorbera contributed two-run singles, and Janocko and Kephart singled across runs.
The roof caved in on Burkett and Dakota Byers in the second after two outs as Janocko and Rowles beat out infield hits to trigger a 10-run uprising that saw 13 Orange Shirts batters step into the box.
Highlights included pairs of singles and an RBI by Janocko, Rowles and Collins and two-run singles by Sorbera and Kennedy.
Needing seven runs for an early finish, the first eight Wise Eyes batters reached base against Byers and Anthony Faulk, with Sorbera delivering his third bases-loaded single.
The lone out was a sacrifice fly by Wyatt Westen that was followed by Kennedy’s game-ending hit.
Jones was credited with the win but wound up throwing 47 pitches instead of 10 in the first inning because of the miscues and was relieved by Janocko in the third. The latter allowed one hit and one run in 1-2/3 innings.
Westen and Thomas Summers matched four-hitters and posted complete-game efforts in the elimination bracket.
Westen fanned nine and walked one against Curwensville. Both runs he allowed were unearned.
Summers gave up one earned run to Philipsburg. He registered six strikeouts, walked three batters and hit one.
Wise Eyes scored at least two runs in every inning during the afternoon win over Curwensville, and Kephart paced a 12-hit attack with a double, two singles and two RBIs.
Janocko, Herrington and Timchak had two singles apiece and Collins belted a two-run double. Herrington also had two RBIs.
Singles by Janocko and Kennedy were the Wise Eyes’ only hits in an eight-run first-inning salvo that set the tone against Philipsburg under the lights.
The winners, who sent 14 batters to the plate, were aided by six walks and two hit batsmen.
Collins accounted for three of Clearfield’s nine hits and drove in two runs.
He was backed by Janocko with two hits, one a double, and two RBIs, Summers with three ribbies and Westen with a double and two RBIs.
CHAMPIONSHIP
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 8
Anthony Faulk cf-p 3-1-1-0, Bryson Paulinellie ss 2-1-1-1, Michael Klingensmith 2b-3b 2-1-0-0, Cory Geer 3b-c 3-2-0-0, Christian Falgout lf 3-2-2-2, Brandon Blose lf 0-0-0-0, Dakota Byers rf-p-cf 0-0-0-0, Ruben Taylor dh 2-0-1-1, Matt Burkett p-rf 3-0-1-0, Zack Bevak rf 0-0-0-0, Clayton Dale 1b 3-0-0-0, Ethan Ambler 1b 0-0-0-0, Dakota Thomas c-2b 0-1-0-1. TOTALS:S 21-8-6-5.
CLEARFIELD — 23
Cole Kephart ss 4-1-2-2, Wyatt Westen 1b 3-1-0-1, Josh Kennedy 3b 5-3-4-3, Devin Jones p 0-0-0-0, Jon Janocko dh-p 3-4-3-2, Sawyer Rowles cf 3-3-3-2, Curtis Collins lf 3-3-2-1, Spencer Herrington 2b 2-3-1-4, Zach Timchak rf 3-3-2-2, Josh Sorbera c 4-2-4-6. TOTALS: 30-23-21-23.
Score by Innings
Punxsutawney 4 2 2 0 – 8 6 1
Clearfield 8(10)0 7 – 23 21 4
Error – Faulk; Kephart, Westen, Herrington, Timchak. PB – Geer. LOB – Punxsutawney 6; Clearfield 6. 2B – Falgout; Kennedy, Janocko. 3B – Taylor. SF – Paulinellie; Westen. SB – Faulk 2, Thomas 2. CS – Kephart (by Burkett).
Pitching
Punxsutawney – Burkett 1-2/3 IP, 10 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 4 BB, 0 K; Byers 1-1/3 IP,8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Faulk 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Jones 2-1/3 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Janocko 1-2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
WP – Faulk 3.
W – Janocko (1-1). L – Burkett.
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ELIMINATION BRACKET FINAL
CLEARFIELD — 15
Kephart ss 3-3-1-0, Westen 1b 2-2-1-2, Kaleb Taylor ph-1b 1-0-0-0, Kennedy 3b 4-2-1-0, Kochan c 0-0-0-0, Janocko dh 3-1-2-2, Rowles cf 2-1-0-0, Herrington 2b 3-1-0-0, Noah Cline 2b 0-0-0-0, Collins lf 3-2-3-2, Jones lf 0-0-0-0, Thomas Summers p2-2-1-3, Timchak rf 2-0-0-0. TOTALS: 25-15-9-10.
PHILIPSBURG — 2
Connor Myers cf-p 1-0-0-0, Jesse Martin-cf p 2-0-0-0, Travis Arnold c 2-0-0-0, Luther Harlow p-3b 2-0-0-0, Lewis Jones 1b-eh 2-0-0-0, Nate Kerlin rf 2-1-2-0, Vince McDowell eh-3b 1-0-0-0, Andrew Maines lf-cf-lf 1-0-0-0, Lucas Fetters lf 0-0-0-0, Walker Williams 3b-lf-p 1-1-1-0, Aaron Mason 2b 1-0-0-0, Kevin Croyle 2b 1-0-1-0, Tanner Wilson ss 2-0-0-1. TOTALS: 18-2-4-1.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 850 20 – 15 9 1
Philipsburg 010 01 – 2 4 4
Errors – Taylor; Harlow, Kerlin, Mason, Wilson. LOB – Clearfield 4; Philipsburg 1. 2B – Westen, Janocko, Collins; Kerlin. SF – Rowles.
Pitching
Clearfield – Summers 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
Philipsburg – Harlow 2/3 IP, 1 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K; Myers 1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 HH, 2 K; Williams 3-1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K.
HB – Summers 1 (Maines); Harlow 2 (Westen, Kennedy). WP – Harlow 1. Balk – Williams 1. PO – Summers 1 (McDowell).
W – Summers (1-0). L – Harlow.
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ELIMINATION BRACKET SEMIFINAL
CLEARFIELD — 19
Kephart ss 5-4-3-2, Westen p 5-3-1-1, Kennedy 3b 3-0-1-0, Janocko 1b 4-1-2-1, Rowles cf 3-2-0-1, Collins lf 3-1-1-2, Jones ph-lf 0-1-0-0, Herrington 2b 2-2-2-2, Cline 2b 0-1-0-0, Jonas Kochan c 0-0-0-0, Sorbera c 0-1–0-0, Summers dh 3-1-0-0, Timchak rf 4-2-2-1. TOTALS: 32-19-12-10.
CURWENSVILLE — 2
Tanner Elensky ss 3-1-1-0, Travis Lansberry lf 2-0-0-0, Jake C. Stiles lf 0-0-0-0, Zach Tibbens cf-p-cf 3-1-1-0, Kyle Johns p-cf-1b 2-0-0-0, Jake P. Stiles 1b-p 2-0-0-0, Brett Gardner 2b 2-0-0-0, Nick Hall 3b-eh 2-0-0-0, A.J. Bloom eh-3b 2-0-1-0, Harry Bloom rf 2-0-1-0, Jonathon Miller rf 0-0-0-0, Aaron Olson c 2-0-0-0. TOTALS: 22-2-4-0.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 532 54 – 19 12 3
Curwensville 200 00 – 2 4 6
Errors – Kephart, Janocko 2; Elensky, J.P. Stiles 2, Gardner, Hall 2. PB – Olson 2. LOB – Clearfield 6; Curwensville 3. 2B – Kephart, Collins. SB – Tibbens 2, Johns.
Pitching
Clearfield – Westen 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K.
Curwensville – Johns 3-1/3 IP, 10 H, 14 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 1 K; Tibbens 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; J.P. Stiles 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
HB – Tibbens 1 (Kennedy). WP – Johns 3, Tibbens 2. Balk – Westen 1.
W – Westen (1-0). L – Johns.