HYDE — Curtis Collins cracked three hits, including a triple, but Toner Corl and Chuck Probst limited the rest of the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team lineup to a pair of singles as Beech Creek eked out a 4-3 win at the Bison Sports Complex Wednesday evening.
Collins gave the Chiefs a chance to start the Central Penn League season 2-0 when, with two outs in the fifth inning, he smacked a run-scoring triple up the right center alley and trotted to the plate after the relay throw sailed out of play.
Clearfield went down in order against Corl in the sixth frame but was given life in the seventh when Probst walked Logan Lykens and Logan Puit. His second strikeout put the pressure on Collins, who came through with a solid single through the middle.
However, the Crickets denied the Chiefs the tying run on a perfect relay from hard-charging center fielder Trapper Kunes to first baseman Bryce Hanley on the mound to catcher Ethan McGill, who put the tag on pinch-runner Jake Sorbera to end the game.
Brandon Orsich was the tough-luck loser, giving up only two earned runs and seven hits while striking out three and walking one.
Beech Creek (2-1) took advantage of two Clearfield miscues to take a 2-0 lead in the third inning. After Kunes’ looper to left filled the sacks, Cole Hanley dropped a single in short center for the first run and Probst picked up an RBI with a hard grounder that third baseman Will Myers knocked down for a forceout.
The Chiefs got one run back in the fourth frame on a single to deep short by Sawyer Rowles and two Cricket misplays.
The visitors answered with two runs in the top of the fifth to stretch their advantage to 4-1. Kunes drew Orsich’s lone free pass, Cole Hanley beat out an infield single and Probst lofted a fly ball to short left center for his second and third RBIs, all with two outs.
Corl earned the win, working six innings and surrendering just four hits and one earned run.
Probst survived the Chiefs’ seventh-inning scare to record the save. He had two strikeouts.
Clearfield goes to Clarence Thursday.
BEECH CREEK — 4
Trapper Kunes 2b-cf 3110, Cole Hanley 3b-2b 4121, Chuck Probst ss-p 3013, Caleb Seyler 1b-3b 3000, Clayton Butler c-eh 3000, Bryce Hanley eh-1b, Ken Heverly cf-rf 3010, Toner Corl p-ss 3000, Ethan McGill rf-c 3100, Drew Nyman lf 2000. TOTALS: 30 4 7 4.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Logan Puit c 2000, Spencer Herrington ss 3100, Curtis Collins 2b-3b 4131, Josh Kennedy lf 3000, Sawyer Rowles cf 3110, Zach Timchak rf 3000, Will Myers 3b-2b 3000, Logan Lykens 1b 2000, Jake Sorbera pr 0000, Ty Bender dh 3010. TOTALS: 26 3 5 1.
Score by Innings
Beech Creek 002 020 0 – 4 7 3
Clearfield 000 120 0 – 3 5 6
E – Kunes, Probst 2; Rowles, Myers 3, Lykens 2. PB – Puit. DP – Clearfield 2 (Collins, Herrington and Lykens; Myers and Herrington). LOB – Clarence 7; Clearfield 6. Sac – Nyman. 3B – Collins. SB – Kunes, C. Hanley, Probst, Butler.
Pitching
Beech Creek – Corl 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Probst 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
Clearfield – Brandon Orsich 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
WP – Orsich 2.
W – Corl. L – Orsich (0-1). Sv – Probst.
Umpires – Frank Keenan (plate) and Mark Zimmerman (bases).