PASCO, Wash. — Former Clearfield Area High School and Clearfield American Legion Post 6 standout pitcher Chad Zurat didn’t have to wait long to make his professional baseball debut after being signed by the Colorado Rockies and assigned to the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Class A Short Season Northwest League.
The 6-2, 215-pounder worked three innings in relief Sunday night against the Spokane Indians, the four-team North Division frontrunners at 22-8 after winning 14-1 in front of 1,649 fans at Gesa Stadium.
Zurat, whose stint was the longest of the six Dust Devils who went to the mound, surrendered four runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out three and walking none.
All of Spokane’s hits and runs came with two outs in the fifth and seventh frames. Zurat set down the Indians in order in the sixth.
Zurat’s father, Tom, said the Penn State Behrend four-year letterman was told he pitched better than the results indicated.
Tri-City, third in the North Division at 11-19 , was scheduled to play the first of five consecutive road games against the South Division leading Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops (18-12) Monday night.