ALTOONA — The Clearfield Area High School baseball team handed Central ace Mike Mock his only regular season loss in three years when Thomas Summers outdueled him in the 2015 opener March 23.
The Millersville University commit got even Friday night in the nightcap of the rain-delayed 11th annual Curve Classic tripleheader at Peoples Natural Gas Field.
The hard-throwing senior right-hander surrendered three singles while striking out nine and walking none in a 2-0 shutout that left the Bison, the Scarlet Dragons and Huntingdon tied atop the Mountain League at 3-1.
Clearfield junior Brandon Orsich was only slightly less effective as he, too, pitched a three-hitter with three strikeouts and two walks.
Both Central runs were unearned.
Chase Smith scored on an error after belting a one-out triple in the fourth inning, and Mock cashed another of the Bison’s five miscues with a two-out single in the fifth.
“Brandon pitched an outstanding game against a very good lineup,” Bison coach Sid Lansberry said. “But Mock showed why he was the Mountain League’s best pitcher last year.”
Mock was unbeaten in 18 decisions over two seasons before losing in the PIAA Class AA championship game last June to finish 11-1 with a 1.12 earned run average.
Blanking the Bison lowered his ERA to 0.74 for three outings this spring, and he raised his strikeout total to 25 in 19 innings.
None of Clearfield’s four baserunners reached second base.
Lansberry pointed out that the 3-2 Bison have faced last year’s two all-league pitchers, Mock twice and Hunter Price of Huntingdon, as well as the top three hurlers for District 9 Class AAA rival Punxsutawney in their only other loss.
Clearfield will return to PNG Field Saturday morning for an 11 o’clock consolation game against Forest Hills, which was nipped 4-3 by Bishop Guilfoyle in the Curve Classic opener that was shoved back four hours because of Friday’s rains.
Altoona rolled past Derry 13-2 in five innings in the other game.
Saturday’s marathon slate will begin at 8:45 with the final first-round game pitting Hollidaysburg against Greater Latrobe.
Mountain League standings — Clearfield 3-1, Central 3-1, Huntingdon 3-1, Bald Eagle Area 2-1, Bellefonte 1-1, Philipsburg-Osceola 0-2, Penns Valley 0-2, Tyrone 0-3.
CENTRAL — 2
Nick Hoenstine 2b 4000, Mike Mock p 3011, Jay Stern 1b 3010, J.M. Knepp 1b 0000, Chase Smith cf 2110, Brenden Vollkommer 3b 2000, Josh McKnight rf 2000, Cordell Bowser rf 2000, Cullen Gahagan lf 3000, Brandon Ritchey c 0000, Damon Langer dh 3000, Jacob Muthler pr 0100, Alex Hoenstine ss 3000. TOTALS: 25 2 3 1.
CLEARFIELD — 0
Sawyer Rowles cf 3000, Spencer Herrington 3010, Josh Sorbera c 3000, Erik Sellers cr 0000, Thomas Summers 1b 3010, Cole Kephart 3b 2000, Brandon Orsich p 2010, Tommy Hazel rf 2000, Will Myers 2b 0000, Dan Collins dh 2000, Noah Cline lf 2000. TOTALS: 22 0 3 0.
Score by Innings
Central 000 110 0 – 2 3 1
Clearfield 000 000 0 – 0 3 5
E – N. Hoenstine; Herrington, Summers 2, Kephart, Myers. DP – Central 2 (A. Hoenstine and Stern; Ritchey and Stern). LOB – Central 5; Clearfield 1. 3B – Smith. Sac – Vollkommer. CS – Sellers (by Ritchey); Mock (by Sorbera), A. Hoenstine (by Sorbera).
Pitching
Central – Mock 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 9 K.
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
W – Mock (2-1). L – Orsich (1-1).
Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/23 | @ Central | 2 – 0 | 1 – 0 |
| 3/26 | @ Huntingdon | ppd. | 1 – 0 |
| 3/27 | @ Huntingdon | 6 – 4 | 2 – 0 |
| 3/31 | @ Bellefonte | ppd. | 2 – 0 |
| 4/02 | @ Tyrone | 6 – 1 | 3 – 0 |
| 4/06 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | 4 – 7, 9 inn. | 3 – 1 |
| 4/07 | @ Bald Eagle Area | ppd. | 3 – 1 |
| 4/10 | @ Altoona Curve Classic | ||
| 4/10 | vs. Central | 0 – 2 | 3 – 2 |
| 4/11 | @ Altoona Curve Classic | ||
| 4/11 | vs. Forest Hills | ||
| 4/14 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | ||
| 4/15 | @ Bald Eagle Area | ||
| 4/20 | HUNTINGDON | ||
| 4/23 | BELLEFONTE | ||
| 4/24 | @ Curwensville | ||
| 4/28 | TYRONE | ||
| 4/29 | PENNS VALLEY | ||
| 5/01 | BALD EAGLE AREA | ||
| 5/04 | @ Penns Valley | ||
| 5/05 | @ Bellefonte | ||
| 5/07 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | ||
| 5/11 | CURWENSVILLE | ||
| 5/14 | BROOKVILLE | ||
| 5/15 | @ DuBois |