BELLEFONTE — The Clearfield American Legion baseball team’s return to Governors Park Monday for the completion of a Central Penn League Playoffs elimination game suspended because of rain Sunday evening ended in disappointment.
Down a run with Bellefonte at bat in the third inning when play resumed, the Post 6 Chiefs fell further behind, 5-2, before they came to bat and then had the door slammed on them by Noah Perryman.
The Bandit reliever faced only 13 Chiefs over the last four innings, whiffing seven to earn the 8-2 victory that gave No. 5 seed Bellefonte a semifinal berth against No. 2 seed Beech Creek, the lone team to win its first three games.
No. 3 seed DuBois visits No. 1 seed Mifflin County in Tuesday’s other semi.
Clearfield had one base runner against Perryman, Sawyer Rowles drawing a walk in the fifth inning.
The Chiefs had just two hits off Taylor Smith, one a run-scoring single by Thomas Summers for a 2-0 lead in the top of the third.
Bellefonte had come right back to take the lead with via a walk, consecutive singles by Smith, Dan Roan and Anthony Montressor and a groundout by Perryman.
Two errors and a hit by Zach Musser extended the advantage when Josh Kennedy returned to the hill.
The Bandits tacked on their final three runs, two unearned, in the fourth inning on three more singles around a Chief error.
Clearfield (10-13) will be back in action this weekend as the host for the eight-team Region 7 Tournament.
The Chiefs will open against the Indiana County League champion Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Spencer Herrington ss 3100, Sawyer Rowles cf 3010, Cole Kephart 3b 2000, Curt Collins 2b 3000, Logan Puit lf 3000, Thomas Summers 1b 3011, Brandon Orsich dh 2000, Josh Sorbera c 3000, Zach Timchak rf 2100. TOTALS: 24 2 2 1.
BELLEFONTE — 8
Seth Weaver lf 4110, Ryan McElwee ss 3210, Taylor Smith p-3b 3210, Dan Roan rf-1b 4121, Anthony Montressor 2b 2111, Noah Perryman 1b-p 3011, Adam Kuhn 3b 2110, Trent Fortney rf 1000, Zach Musser cf 2021, Gehrig Schuster c 3000. TOTALS: 27 87 10 4.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 002 000 0 – 2 2 3
Bellefonte 005 300 x – 8 10 2
E – Herrington, Kennedy, Sorbera; Smith, Roan. DP – Clearfield 2 (Herrington and Summers; Collins and Summers). LOB – Clearfield 6; Bellefonte 5. Sac – Smith.
Pitching
Clearfield – Josh Kennedy 5 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; Logan Lykens 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Bellefonte – Smith 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; Perryman 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.
HB – Smith 1 (Kephart).
W – Perryman. L – Kennedy (0-2).