HYDE — The Clearfield Area High School baseball team couldn’t generate seventh-inning magic for the third game in a row and suffered a streak-breaking 5-1 loss to Penns Valley at the Bison Sports Complex Wednesday.
The defeat, only the third in 13 games, not only halted the Bison’s win streak at seven but also cost them the Mountain League lead as they dropped a half-game behind Central, which got past Tyrone by an identical 5-1 score.
The Bison, who rallied in the final inning to nip Bellefonte 5-4 Monday and Tyrone 3-2 Tuesday, actually got the tying run to the plate after three Ram miscues loaded the bases, but L.J. Johnson wrapped up his complete game effort with his seventh strikeout.
The senior left-hander spaced four hits, two by Spencer Herrington.
He relied mostly on his fastball, occasionally working in a curve.
The fact that the Bison had faced a pitcher with a markedly slower No. 1 in Tuesday’s game might have been a factor, according to Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry.
“Maybe our bats were slow,” he said. “We weren’t getting around on the fastball on the outside half, and that results in a lot of popups and strikeouts.
“I knew he was a good pitcher coming in. We‘ve faced him before.
“He did a great job on our hitters. He pretty much stuffed us. He threw in and out and mixed up his pitches, using his curve sparingly but effectively.”
Still, Lansberry was disappointed the Bison didn’t put more pressure on Johnson.
“We gotta have more offensive production,” he said. “We’ve got to put the ball in play more, on the ground, hard line drives.”
Johnson lost a shutout in the fifth when he walked pinch-hitter Marcus Luzier and hit Josh Sorbera with two outs and Herrington singled into short right center.
Penns Valley (5-6, 3-5 ML) was up 3-0 by then, though.
Colton Treaster hammered a double to left center and scored on a groundout in the second frame, a two-out error gave the Rams a run in the third and Wyatt Sharp belted a home run over the left center fence in the fifth.
The Rams tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth on Treaster’s double inside third base, singles by Hunter Ilgen and Ryan McElwee and a groundout by Chase Collins.
“We knew they were good, much better than their record,” Lansberry said. “They’ve had a lot of close games. They almost beat Central twice, so we knew it was not going to be an easy game.”
The Rams got to Brandon Orsich for 11 hits, three by Logan Marcum and two each by Sharp and Treaster.
Orsich struck out two and walked one in his fifth complete game in six starts. The loss was his second in five decisions.
“I thought he pitched a decent game,” Lansberry said. “Even giving up five runs is no big deal. We should be able to get five runs, but not the way we’re hitting right now.”
The Bison will try to bounce back Friday when Bald Eagle Area visits the BSC.
Clearfield’s junior varsity improved to 4-5 with a 4-1 win behind the pitching of Jake Sorbera, who went the distance on a two-hitter with nine strikeouts. Thayne Morgan had three hits while Sorbera and Wyatt Porter drove in runs.
Mountain League standings — Central 8-1, Clearfield 8-2, Bellefonte 5-4, Huntingdon 5-5, Philipsburg-Osceola 3-4, Penns Valley 3-5, Bald Eagle Area 3-6, Tyrone 1-9.
PENNS VALLEY — 5
Chase Collison lf 4001, Kevin Sweeley 2b 0000, Davey Keller dh 4010, Wyatt Sharp rf 3121, Logan Marcum 3b 4130, LJ Johnson p 3010, Tyler Breon ph 0000, Colton Treaster c 4220, Hunter Ilgen 1b 4111, Corby Woodring cf 2001, Ryan McElwee ss 3010. TOTALS: 31 5 11 4.
CLEARFIELD — 1
Josh Sorbera c 3000, Spencer Herrington ss 3021, Noah Cline lf 0000, Thomas Summers dh 4000, Cole Kephart 3b4010, Brandon Orsich p 3000, Sawyer Rowles cf 3000, Erik Sellers 1b 3010, Will Myers 2b 2000, Dan Collins ph 1000, Tommy Hazel rf 1100, Marcus Luzier ph 0000, Logan Lykens ph 1000. TOTALS: 28 1 4 1.
Score by Innings
Penns Valley 011 012 0 – 5 11 3
Clearfield 000 010 0 – 1 4 2
E – Marcum 2, McElwee; Herrington, Sellers. DP – Clearfield 1 (Orsich, Herrington and Sellers). LOB – Penns Valley 8; Clearfield 9. 2B – Sharp, Marcum, Treaster 2; Kephart. HR – Sharp. Sac – Breon, Woodring.
Pitching
Penns Valley – Johnson 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
HB – Johnson 1 (Sorbera). WP – Orsich 1.
W – Johnson. L – Orsich (3-2).
Umpires – Jim Cushion (plate) and Scott Viehdorfer (bases).
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 | 3 – 0 | 6 – 2 |
| 4/20 | HUNTINGDON | ppd. | 6 – 2 |
| 4/21 | HUNTINGDON | 4 – 3 | 7 – 2 |
| 4/23 | BELLEFONTE | ppd. | 7 – 2 |
| 4/24 | @ Curwensville | 13 – 0 | 8 – 2 |
| 4/27 | BELLEFONTE | 5 – 4 | 9 – 2 |
| 4/28 | TYRONE | 3 – 2 | 10 – 2 |
| 4/29 | PENNS VALLEY | 1 – 5 | 10 – 3 |
| 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 |