BIGLER — The Clearfield Little League 11-and-12 All-Stars came from behind twice to forge ties, but homestanding Four-Leaf Clover scored four more runs with two outs in the fifth inning to emerge from the District 5 Tournament elimination bracket game with a 9-5 win at the Bigler Little League Field Saturday evening.
Home runs by Ty Bender leading off the bottom of the first inning and Larry Cowder in the second frame powered Four-Leaf Clover (2-1) to an early 4-0 advantage.
Bender’s was a monster shot to dead center field that cleared the flagpole and soared over a high building well beyond the fence.
Cowder’s was a towering drive that landed just behind the fence in right center. His two-out blow drove in Adam Morlock, who had singled through the middle, and Cade Walker, aboard via a walk.
Clearfield, which had left the bases full in the first and third innings against Cowder, broke through against the tall right-hander and Walker, a southpaw, in the fourth with the help of a two-out miscue and two walks that loaded the bases.
Allen Myers almost came up with an outstanding diving catch of Jeremy Learish’s liner to left field but lost possession when he rolled over. Anthony Lopez and Nathan Barr scored, with the latter beating a high relay throw to the plate after missing third base and having to retrace his steps.
Eli Glass followed with a double to right center for two RBIs to get the visitors even.
Four-Leaf Clover (2-1), which will host Milesburg Sunday at 6 p.m. in the third round of the elimination bracket, quickly inched in front 5-4 when Bender received one of his unintentional, intentional free passes and sprinted around the sacks on a throwing error.
Clearfield got the equalizer in the fifth, Wyatt Porter drilling a single inside third base and eventually scoring on a two-out error.
In the bottom of the inning, Myers singled to left to touch off the winning rally. Learish, who relieved starter Glass in the second inning, almost escaped unscathed, inducing two groundouts and, after a walk to Luke Cowder, a fly ball to right by Quentin Maguire. However, the ball fell for a game-winning hit by the Four-Leaf reserve.
Another walk to Bender filled the sacks for Josh Fernburg, whose looper to shallow right center plated two insurance runs. A miscue on the play enabled Bender to score the final run.
Clearfield threatened again in the sixth on two walks issued by Isaac Rumery, the third Four-Leaf pitcher, around a single by Glass, and Porter slapped a hard grounder to the right side, but Bender corralled it for the final out.
Walker got the win while Learish suffered the loss.
Glass pounded two doubles and a single and Learish added two singles for Clearfield, which finished 1-2 in the double-elimination tourney.
CLEARFIELD — 5
Nathan Barr 1b 3100, Harrison Peacock ss 2100, Jeremy Learish c-p 3121, Eli Glass p-3b 4032, Caleb Freeland lf 1000, Wyatt Porter 3b-c 4110, Jude Pallo cf 2000, Hayden Williams 2b 3000, Ryan Chew rf 1100, Anthony Lopez rf 1000. TOTALS: 24 5 6 3.
FOUR-LEAF CLOVER — 9
Ty Bender 1b 1311, Justin Fernburg ss 4010, Caullin Reed 2b 2000, Dustin Moore 2b 0000, Riley Phillips 3b 2010, Isaac Rumery 3b-p 1000, Allen Myers lf 2110, Adam Morlock rf-cf-3b 3110, Cade Walker cf-p-cf 1100, Luke Cowder c 2100, Larry Cowder p-cf 2213, Quentin Maguire rf 1011. TOTALS: 21 9 7 5.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 000 410 – 5 6 2
Four-Leaf Clover 130 014 – 9 7 2
E – Peacock, Chew; Bender, Rumery. DP – Four-Leaf Clover 1 (Rumery and Bender). LOB – Clearfield 10; Four-Leaf Clover 5. 2B – Glass 2. HR – Bender, Larry Cowder. SB – Bender, Luke Cowder.
Pitching
Clearfield – Glass 1-2/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; Learish 3-1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 2 K.
Four-Leaf Clover – Larry Cowder 3-2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 5 K; Walker 1-1/3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; Rumery 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
HB – Walker 1 (Barr).
W – Walker. L – Learish (0-1).
Umpires – Al Fricke (plate) and Mike Norris (bases).