CLEARFIELD — For the third time in four years, the Clearfield “Past-Your-Prime” Modified Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament championship trophy was carted back down I-99 to Bedford by the Over-The-Hillbillies Sunday.
They completed an undefeated run through the eight-team bracket by turning back the seven-time champion Potter’s Bricklayers of Philipsburg twice, 7-1 in the winner’s bracket final and 7-5 in the title game of the 20th annual tourney at Bucky Strunk Memorial Field.
Right-hander Chris Theys spun a three-hitter in their late-morning tussle, getting the only runs he needed on Scott Whysaw’s run-scoring single and Brett Cessna’s RBI groundout in the first inning.
Jim Harshbarger iced it in the fourth inning, hammering a triple for two RBIs and scoring on a groundout by Rob Koontz.
Pete Coy had three of Bedford’s 11 hits, including a triple and a double.
In the rematch, a bad-hop, three-run triple by Rob Emigh in the third frame had the injury-riddled Bricklayers on top 3-1 going to the bottom of the fifth.
Then, the Over-The-Hillbillies erupted for five hits, the key blow a bases-clearing triple by Whysaw, and five runs.
Potter’s Jimmy Thal tripled with two mates aboard in the sixth to make it 6-5, but Bedford’s Bill Bumgardner singled across an insurance run.
Theys didn’t need it, although Kevin Hahn’s single brought the tying run to the plate for the Bricklayers. Theys closed out his fourth win of the tourney for players 40-and-older by inducing a pop-up and two flyouts.
Bumgardner and Matt Whysaw had two hits apiece for Bedford, while Emigh, Hahn, Jeff McDonald and Mike Potter each had a pair of safeties for Potter’s.
Potter’s had gained another crack at the Over-The-Hillbillies with an exciting 10-9 win over Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in the elimination bracket final as Hahn lined a single into left field and scored the deciding run on an error in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Denny’s tied the back-and-forth scrap for a third time with two runs in the do-or-die top of the seventh frame.
Potter’s, which lost three shortstops in the two days, got three hits from Hahn and pairs of RBIs from him and Mike Potter to back winner Jerry Watson.
For Denny’s, Steve Terry ripped two doubles and a single and Denny Billotte chipped in three singles.
Earlier, the Beer Barrel Pubbers stayed alive by erasing a 6-3 deficit with six runs in the top of the sixth inning and going on to oust Bob Boob’s Garage 13-6.
Helping Randy Sones to his third win were Billotte with two doubles, two singles and three RBIS, Terry with two triples, a single and two RBIs and Scott Cochran and Chuck Erskine with two RBIs apiece.
Tom Greslick and Chris Peacock paced Boob’s 17-hit attack with two doubles and a single apiece. Peacock drove in three runs.
In the first game of the day, Boob’s sidelined the Meatheads 4-3 despite managing only three hits off Mike Moskel.
Down 3-0, Boob’s pulled it out in the lower sixth on a bases-loaded walk, Joe Rumsky’s two-run single and an error.
Peacock hurled a seven-hitter for the victory.
All proceeds generated at the concession stand as well as several fund-raisers went to the Clearfield-based Sgt. William L. Dixon Detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps League for its “Toys For Tots” Program.
A tournament committee representative expressed his thanks to all players, umpires, concession stand workers, Sgt. Dixon Detachment members for manning the fund-raiser table and especially the area businesses and individuals who made donations of food and/or prizes.
CHAMPIONSHIP
POTTER’S BRICKLAYERS — 5
Jimmy Thal lf 4012, Jeff McDonald 2b 4120, Kevin Hahn cf 4120, Rob Harris c 2010, Brent Cartwright 1b 3100, Rob Emigh ss 4123, Jerry Watson rf 2000, Mike Potter 3b 3120, Harold Hahn dh 3000. TOTALS: 31 5 10 5.
BEDFORD OVER-THE-HILLBILLIES — 7
Pete Coy 2b 2110, Sean Stank cf 4110, Scott Whysaw ss 3213, Matt Whysaw 3b 2021, Brett Cessna lf 3010, Mike Rose rf 3000, Lee Roy c 3110, Jim Harshbarger 1b 3110, Bill Bumgardner eh 3121, Ron Edwards dh 3010. TOTALS: 29 7 11 5.
Score by Innings
Potter’s 003 002 0 – 5 10 2
Bedford 100 051 x – 7 11 0
E – Harris, M. Potter. DP – Potter’s 1 (Cartwright unassisted). LOB – Potter’s 6; Bedford . 3B – Thal, Emigh. SB – Coy, Bumgardner.
Pitching
Potter’s – Terry Potter 6 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.
Bedford – Chris Theys 7 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 0 K.
W – Theys (4-0). L – T. Potter (1-2).
Umpires – Chris Rubbe (plate), Dave Patrick (first base) and Denny Nosker (third base).
* * * * * * * * * *
ELIMINATION BRACKET FINAL
Denny’s 140 110 20 – 9 15
Potter’s 106 020 01 – 10 12
WP – Jerry Watson (2-0). LP – Randy Sones (3-2).
Three hits – (D) Steve Terry, Denny Billotte; (P) K. Hahn. Two hits – (D) Bob Lewis, Scott Cochran; (P) McDonald, M. Potter.
2B – (D) Terry 2, Chuck Erskine.
* * * * * * * * * *
ELIMINATION BRACKET SEMIFINAL
Denny’s 210 016 3 – 13 13
Bob Boob’s 012 300 0 – 6 17
WP – Sones (3-1). LP – Chris Peacock (1-1).
Four hits – (D) Billotte. Three hits – (D) Terry; (BB) Tom Greslick, Peacock. Two hits – Chris Lewis; (BB) Brent Thomas, Brent Lykens, Isaac Graham.
3B – (D) Terry 2; (BB) Fedder. 2B – (D) Billotte 2, Cochran, Erskine; (BB) Greslick 2, Peacock 2, Graham.
* * * * * * * * * *
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
Potter’s 100 000 0 – 1 3
Bedford 201 310 x – 7 11
WP – Theys (3-0). LP – T. Potter (1-1).
Three hits – (B) Coy. Two hits – (B) Cessna, S. Whysaw.
3B – (B) Coy, Harshbarger. 2B – (B) Coy.
* * * * * * * * * *
ELIMINATION BRACKET SECOND ROUND
Meatheads 002 010 0 – 3 7
Bob Boob’s Garage 000 040 x – 4 3
WP – C. Peacock (1-0). L – Mike Moskel (1-2).
Two hits – (M) Mark Luzier.
2B – (M) Luzier.