HYDE — Thomas Summers, Cole Kephart and Wyatt Westen combined for six hits and four runs batted in and Westen also earned the save as Clearfield slipped past Hollidaysburg 6-5 in a Central Penn American Legion League make-up game at the Bison Sports Complex Monday evening.
The Chiefs, who had dropped their first eight CPL outings, banged out seven of their eight hits and scored five runs in the fourth and fifth innings.
They snapped a 4-4 tie in the fifth on well-hit doubles by Summers and Kephart to right center and dead center, respectively, and a single through the middle by Westen that proved to be the game-winning hit.
Hollidaysburg (2-3) got one run back off winning pitcher Ronny Ogden in the sixth inning, but Westen put the visitors on lockdown in the seventh, striking out the last of the three batters he faced.
Both teams had posted unearned runs in the first frame, Summers getting Clearfield even with a soft single to left center that chased home Spencer Herrington, who had reached base on an error and was sacrificed to second by Curtis Collins.
Hollidaysburg went in front again, 3-1, in the third inning on a walk, hits by Aaron Burger and Marcello DeFay and a Clearfield misplay.
The Chiefs took the lead for the first time with three runs in the fourth.
Ogden ignited the rally by slashing a single to right and then chugged all the way around the sacks when Kephart’s solid single into left field was mishandled. Kephart wound up at third, and Westen promptly scored him with a grounder over second base. Following an error and Josh Sorbera’s infield hit, Josh Kennedy drove in Westen with a fly ball to right field.
DeFay, who had three hits, pulled Hollidaysburg into the 4-4 deadlock in the top of the fifth with a triple to right center that plated Burger, who had led off with his second single.
However, DeFay was stranded at third when third baseman Erik Sellers short-hopped Chris Storm’s hard smash and Ogden induced a pop-up to first baseman Summers and a soft liner to second baseman Herrington.
Then, the Chiefs set up Ogden’s first win in four decisions with their pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.
Ogden gave up nine hits, never more than two in any inning, and three earned runs. He had two strikeouts and one walk.
Clearfield, 3-10-1 overall, will take on Altoona at Drost Field near Bellwood Tuesday at 6 p.m.
HOLLIDAYSBURG — 5
Aaron Burger ss 4220, Marcello DeFay rf 4132, Chris Storm p 4011, Austin McMonagle c 3000, Jason Douglas 3b 3000, Dane Scollen 1b 3000, Garret England lf 3120, Josh Helsel 2b 2010, Jared Verba 2b 1001, Adam Fluke cf 2100. TOTALS: 29 5 9 4.
CLEARFIELD — 6
Spencer Herrington 2b 4100, Curtis Collins lf-cf 2000, Thomas Summers 1b 3021, Ronny Ogden p-lf 3110, Cole Kephart ss 3221, Wyatt Westen cf-p 3122, Josh Sorbera c 3010, Josh Kennedy 3b 1001, Erik Sellers 3b 1000, Zach Timchak rf 2000, Devin Jones rf 1000. TOTALS: 26 6 8 5.
Score by Innings
Hollidaysburg 102 011 0 – 5 9 4
Clearfield 100 320 x – 6 8 4
E – Burger 2, England, Fluke; Kephart, Kennedy 2, Timchak. LOB – Hollidaysburg 4; Clearfield 5. 2B – England; Summers, Kephart. 3B – DeFay. Sac – Collins. SF – Kennedy. SB – Fluke. CS – Storm (by Sorbera); England (by Sorbera).
Pitching
Hollidaysburg – Storm 6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – Ogden 6 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; Westen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
HB – Storm 1 (Collins). WP – Ogden 1.
W – Ogden (1-3). L – Storm. Save – Westen (1).
Umpires – Rob Morgan (plate) and Rob Murphy (bases).
