PHILIPSBURG — Erik Sellers singled in the go-ahead run and Sawyer Rowles provided insurance for pitcher Brandon Orsich with another hit in the top of the seventh inning to lift Clearfield past Philipsburg-Osceola 6-4 in Mountain League high school baseball action at the Don Womer Complex Tuesday afternoon.
The comeback win kept the Bison tied for first place at 4-1 with Central, which nipped Huntingdon 3-2.
Sellers and Rowles, hitting No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, came through big time, combining for five of Clearfield’s 11 hits and five RBIs.
Orsich went the distance on a six-hitter for his second win in three decisions.
The junior right-hander surrendered six hits, but only two after the second inning.
He struck out three Mounties and didn’t give up a walk as only 16 of his 83 pitches were called balls.
“That’s amazing,” Bison coach Sid Lansberry said.
Orsich had to survive a rocky start, though.
The Mounties rebounded from a heart-breaking 5-4 non-league loss at Altoona by jumping in front 4-1.
P-O (0-5, 0-3 ML) got one run in the first inning on Tanner Lamb’s single following two Clearfield misplays and stretched the lead in the second on Derek Shaw’s two-run double and Logan Williamson’s RBI single.
On the board via two walks and Rowles’ single in the top of the second, the Bison knotted the score in the third. After Spencer Herrington singled and Cole Kephart and Orsich walked to fill the sacks, Tommy Hazel grounded out for an RBI and Sellers came through with a two-out, two-run single.
Three Bison errors had Orsich in hot water again, but he started an inning-ending double play and then was lights out the rest of the way, retiring 12 of the last 14 Mounties he faced.
Starter Mitch Winters and reliever Cam Domblisky kept the Bison in check, too, until the seventh, when Thomas Summers’ second single and Kephart’s second free pass set the stage for Sellers and Rowles to deliver their clutch hits.
Clearfield improved to 5-2 overall despite committing seven errors.
“I guess you could call this one ‘winning ugly,’ but we’ll take it,” Lansberry said. “We have to play solid defense to win, so we were fortunate to pull this one out.
“P-O is a much better team than their record. That’s two really tough losses in two days for them.”
Clearfield goes back on the road Wednesday for an important ML makeup game against Bald Eagle Area at Wingate.
In the junior varsity game, Jeremy Learish was the winning pitcher as Clearfield triumphed 4-1. Jake Sorbera and Evan Brown had two hits apiece.
Mountain League standings — Clearfield 4-1, Central 4-1, Bellefonte 2-1, Huntingdon 3-2, Bald Eagle Area 2-2, Tyrone 1-3, Philipsburg-Osceola 0-3, Penns Valley 0-3.
CLEARFIELD — 6
Josh Sorbera c 4010, Spencer Herrington ss 4110, Noah Cline lf 0000, Thomas Summers dh 4120, Cole Kephart 3b 2210, Brandon Orsich p 2210, Tommy Hazel rf 30001, Erik Sellers 1b 4023, Sawyer Rowles cf 4032, Will Myers 2b 2000, Dan Collins ph 1000. TOTALS: 30 6 11 6.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — 4
Tanner Wilson 2b 4110, Derek Shaw c 4112, Logan Williamson ss 3011, Tanner Lamb lf 3011, Mitch Winters p-3b 3000, Levi Hughes cf 0000, Isaac Knepp dh 3000, Josh Earnest 3b 2010, Cam Domblisky p 1010, Gage Coudriet 1b 3100, Kevin Croyle rf 3100. TOTALS: 30 4 6 4.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 013 000 2 – 6 11 7
Philipsburg-Osceola 130 000 0 – 4 6 2
E – Sorbera, Herrington, Kephart, Orsich, Sellers, Rowles, Myers; Williamson, Lamb. DP – Clearfield 1 (Orsich and Sellers); Philipsburg-Osceola 2 (Williamson, Wilson and Coudriet; Williamson and Wilson). LOB – Clearfield 9; Philipsburg-Osceola 5. 2B – Shaw. SB – Rowles.
Pitching
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
Philipsburg-Osceola – Winters 4-1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 4 K; Domblisky 2-2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
W – Orsich (2-1). L – Domblisky.
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 | 7 – 3 | 4 – 2 |
4/14 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 6 – 4 | 5 – 2 |
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 |