HYDE — Brandon Orsich bested Mitch Winters in a fast-paced duel of four-hitters as Clearfield finally emerged from a close game with a victory at the Bison Sports Complex Tuesday.
The Bison, who had lost nine times by one or two runs, ended a three-game slide with a 2-1 Mountain League make-up game win in their home finale.
Orsich had trouble only with Logan Williamson en route to his third complete game in four starts.
Williamson embellished his team-high average with three singles before Orsich punctuated the Bison’s fourth win by catching the Mountie freshman shortstop looking at strike three.
The sophomore right-hander fanned six, walked three and hit one batter in his 12th appearance of his rookie season.
“He gets the ball back and he works fast, and that helps your defense,” Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry said. “He’s always around the plate, and he’s got a little bit of zip.
“The last two innings, he was throwing hard.”
Backed by a pair of double plays, Winters was equally tough, giving up one earned run. He had two strikeouts while walking two and hitting one.
The Bison executed a twin killing, too, and it was a big one.
A walk and Williamson’s liner over shortstop had the Mounties threatening in the first inning, but third baseman Cole Kephart speared Travis Arnold’s wicked one-hopper and started an around-the-horn DP.
P-O (5-13, 5-9 ML) got on the board first when Winters, aboard via a force-out after Tanner Lamb singled, stole second and scored on a two-out error in the second inning.
Catching a couple of breaks for a change, Clearfield (4-14, 3-10 ML) changed the scoreboard in the third frame.
Thomas Summers led off by lacing a double to left center and Zach Timchak laid down a sacrifice bunt that turned into a hit when nobody covered first base.
Summers scored the tying run on Logan Puit’s groundout and Timchak was awarded home plate with the deciding marker when Spencer Herrington’s grounder was thrown away at first base.
That was all Orsich needed as he worked out of a two-on, one-out situation by coaxing two ground balls, second baseman Erik Sellers making a fine stop for the third out, and then set down nine of the last 11 Mounties he faced.
“We‘ve been playing tough all year, but something always happens,” Lansberry said. “We finally got some breaks. Today, things worked out.
“We made some good defensive plays, too. That double play in the first inning was a nice play. Curtis (Collins) made a couple nice catches out there. And Sellers made a great play. I thought that was a base hit.”
Right fielder Timchak, left fielder Collins and first baseman-pitcher Jon Janocko played their final game for the Bison at the BSC. Pitcher Devin Jones is the other senior on the squad.
Clearfield pulls down the curtain on the regular season with a trip to Tyrone Wednesday for another Mountain League make-up game.
The Bison jayvees upped their record to 8-6 with an 8-4 win.
Tommy Hazel pitched a complete game, striking out six, while Marcus Luzier had two hits and Ethan McGinnis and Jonathan Trimpey scored two runs apiece.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — 1
Aaron Mason cf 4000, Tanner Wilson 2b 3000, Logan Williamson ss 4030, Travis Arnold 3b 3000, Tanner Lamb lf 3010, Mitch Winters p 3100, Derek Shaw c 2000, Caleb Pepperday rf 2000, Curtis Matsko 1b 2000. TOTALS: 26 1 4 0.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Logan Puit cf 1001, Sawyer Rowles cf 0000, Spencer Herrington ss 3000, Curtis Collins lf 3010, Cole Kephart 3b 1000, Josh Sorbera c 3000, Jon Janocko 1b 3010, Nate Brady pr 0000, Erik Sellers 2b 3000, Brandon Orsich p 0000, Thomas Summers dh 2110, Zach Timchak rf 2110. TOTALS: 21 2 4 1.
Score by Innings
Philipsburg-Osceola 010 000 0 – 1 4 2
Clearfield 002 000 x – 2 4 2
E – Williamson, Arnold; Herrington, Janocko. DP – P-O 2 (Williamson and Matsko; Williamson, Wilson and Matsko); Clearfield 1 (Kephart, Sellers and Janocko). LOB – Philipsburg-Osceola 8; Clearfield 5. 2B – Summers. Sac – Kephart. SB – Williamson, Winters.
Pitching
Philipsburg-Osceola – Winters 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
HB – Winters 1 (Kephart); Orsich 1 (Pepperday).
W – Orsich. L – Winters.
Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/25 | @ Central | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 3/28 | @ Huntingdon | 6 – 7 | 0 – 1 |
| 3/31 | @ Bald Eagle Area | ppd. | 0 – 1 |
| 4/01 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 12 – 13 | 0 – 2 |
| 4/02 | @ Central | 1 – 2 | 0 – 3 |
| 4/03 | @ Bellefonte | ppd. | 0 – 3 |
| 4/07 | @ Penns Valley | ppd. | 0 – 3 |
| 4/08 | @ Tyrone | ppd. | 0 – 3 |
| 4/09 | @ Penns Valley | 3 -3, susp. | 0 – 3 |
| 4/11 | @ Altoona Curve Classic | ||
| vs. Altoona | 8 – 10 | 0 – 4 | |
| 4/12 | @ Altoona Curve Classic | ||
| vs. Latrobe | 1 – 4 | 0 – 5 | |
| 4/14 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | ppd. | 0 – 5 |
| 4/15 | TYRONE | ppd. | 0 – 5 |
| 4/17 | CENTRAL | 0 – 10 | 0 – 6 |
| 4/21 | DUBOIS | 3 – 7 | 0 – 7 |
| 4/22 | HUNTINGDON | 8 – 10 | 0 – 8 |
| 4/25 | BALD EAGLE AREA | ppd. | 0 – 8 |
| 4/26 | TYRONE | 2 – 3 (8 inn.) | 0 – 9 |
| 4/28 | BELLEFONTE | 11 – 5 | 1 – 9 |
| 4/29 | BALD EAGLE AREA | ppd. | 1 – 9 |
| 5/01 | @ Tyrone | ppd. | 1 – 9 |
| 5/02 | @ Punxsutawney | 6 – 10 | 1 – 10 |
| 5/06 | PENNS VALLEY (susp 4/9) | 3 – 4 (13 inn) | 1 – 11 |
| 5/06 | PENNS VALLEY | 8 – 3 | 2 – 11 |
| 5/07 | @ Brookville | 10 – 2 | 3 – 11 |
| 5/08 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 13 – 14 | 3 – 12 |
| 5/09 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 4 – 9 | 3 – 13 |
| 5/12 | @ Bellefonte | 4 – 6 | 3 – 14 |
| 5/13 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 2 – 1 | 4 – 14 |
| 5/14 | @ Tyrone |