CLEARFIELD — In contention for fourth place and home field in the first round of the Central Penn League Championship Playoffs going into the final week of the regular season, the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team wound up in sixth after losing 13-2 to DuBois at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Wednesday evening.
Because final standings for the playoffs are based on win totals and not winning percentage, DuBois (10-2) is the No. 3 seed behind Mifflin County (11-3) and Beech Creek (11-4) and will host the Chiefs Friday at 6 p.m. at Showers Field.
Win or lose, Clearfield will play again Saturday at 2 p.m. at the home field of the higher seed.
Other first-round pairings will send No. 8 seed Philipsburg to Lewistown to challenge No. 1 Mifflin County, No. 7 Clarence to No. 2 Beech Creek and No. 5 Bellefonte to No. 4 State College.
Six teams will be alive for 3 p.m. games on Sunday.
DuBois atoned for a 4-3 loss to Clearfield in their June 3 season opener by pounding out 15 hits off three Chief hurlers, with seven going for extra bases.
Three-run homers by Jake Miknis and Dom Goldbach highlighted the attack that shortened the game to six innings because of the Mercy Rule.
Those dingers came in the second and third innings, respectively, as the visitors took control with four-run outbursts after both clubs posted a run in the first frame.
Goldbach also had one of the winners’ five doubles in a perfect 4-for-4 performance.
Miknis, Derrin McKee, Clayton Read and Phil Myers each had two hits.
Miknis drive in four runs and McKee added three RBIs.
Jon Janocko had a pair of run-scoring hits for the Chiefs, who are 9-11 overall.
They were held to four singles by five DuBois pitchers. Miknis, who took over for Noah Schneider in the third inning, was the winner.
Chief starter Janocko suffered the loss after surrendering eight hits and eight runs in two-plus innings. Will Myers and Josh Kennedy pitched in relief.
Central Penn League Final Standings (based on win totals) – Mifflin County 11-3, Beech Creek 11-4, DuBois 10-2, State College 10-6, Bellefonte 8-8, Clearfield 7-9, Clarence 5-10, Philipsburg 4-8, Altoona 0-16.
DUBOIS — 13
Derrin McKee 3b-p-2b 3323, Clayton Read ss-p 4022, Jake Miknis 2b-p-2b 3124, Cory Manning rf 1000, Jake Felix 1b 3011, Justin Sleigh lf-3b-lf-3b 3000, John Mohney rf-cf 4110, Phil Myers cf-p-lf 3220, Dom Goldbach c 4443, Colin Read dh-2b-rf-2b-ss 3210. TOTALS: 29 13 15 13.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Logan Puit lf 3010, Sawyer Rowles cf 2210, Spencer Herrington ss 2000, Jon Janocko p-1b 3022, Brandon Orsich 3b-2b 2000, Zach Timchak rf 1000, Josh Sorbera c 0000, Josh Kennedy eh-3b-p 2000, Logan Lykens 1b-eh 3000, Will Myers 2b-p-2b 1000, Jake Sorbera 2b 1000. TOTALS: 20 2 4 2.
Score by Innings
DuBois           144 022 – 13 15 1
Clearfield       100 010 – 2   4 0
E – Sleigh. PB – Sorbera. DP – DuBois 1 (Miknis, Colin Read and Felix). LOB – DuBois 8; Clearfield 9. 2B – McKee, Clayton Read, Miknis, Colin Read. HR – Miknis, Goldbach. Sac – Colin Read. SF – Clayton Read, Felix. CS – Rowles (by Goldbach). PO – P. Myers (by Josh Sorbera).
Pitching
DuBois – Noah Schneider 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Miknis 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K; P. Myers 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; McKee 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Clayton Read 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Janocko 2+ IP (faced 3 batters in 3rd) , 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; W. Myers 2-1/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Kennedy 1-2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
HB – Schneider 1 (Josh Sorbera); Miknis 1 (Rowles), P. Myers 1 (Josh Sorbera); Clayton Read 1 (Josh Sorbera); Janocko 1 (Sleigh). WP – Schneider 1; Janocko 1.
W – Miknis. L – Janocko (1-1).
