HYDE — The No. 2-seeded Clearfield Area High School baseball team has drawn a tough assignment for its first appearance in the District 9 Class AAA Playoffs since 2011.
No. 3 seed Bradford will bring a deceiving 12-6 record to the Bison Sports Complex for the 4:40 p.m. semifinal.
Four of the losses that left the Owls at 7-5 on May 4 came in an eight-day stretch to No. 1 seed Punxsutawney, 8-4 and 8-7, and Class AAAA DuBois, 8-6 and 7-6.
Their only loss down the stretch was 1-0 to Class A No. 2 seed DuBois Central Catholic last Monday when Andy Bacha gave up only one hit in five innings.
Their biggest win was 3-0 over Class A No. 1 seed Elk County Catholic 3-0 with Randy Boyer hurling a three-hitter.
“We haven’t played them for a few years, and we don’t know a whole lot about them except their record, but we know they’re a good team,” Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry said. “They have at least two pretty decent pitchers and they played well against Punxsy and DuBois, so they’re going to be a tough team to beat.”
The Bison (14-6) also lost to Punxsy, 7-4 in nine innings at home on April 6, and DuBois, 4-1 when the Beavers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning at Showers Field Friday.
Brookville was the only other common opponent.
Bradford defeated the Raiders 5-2 on April 28 and 16-2 in five innings on May 7, while Clearfield blitzed them 11-1 in 4½ innings at the BSC Thursday.
The Bison match up well with the Owls in the pitching department with two aces in senior left-hander Thomas Summers and junior right-hander Brandon Orsich, who have made eight starts apiece and combined for 11 complete games and 11 wins.
Summers boasts a 7-1 record and an outstanding 1.69 earned run average for nine appearances. He has worked 58 innings with 47 strikeouts and 24 walks while surrendering 57 hits and 21 runs, 14 earned.
Orsich is 4-3 but owns a 2.23 ERA with a 32-10 strikeout-walk ratio for 53-1/3 innings. He has allowed 50 hits and 29 runs, 17 earned.
Opponents are averaging only 3.3 runs against the Bison mound staff that has an exceptional 2.01 ERA.
Offensively, the Bison are hitting at a .285 clip and scoring over five runs per game.
The highest batting averages are owned by the quartet of seniors who have been at the top of the lineup in recent games.
Barring any change by Lansberry, the Bradford starter will see center field Sawyer Rowles (.290), shortstop Spencer Herrington (.319), catcher Josh Sorbera (.353) and Summers (.362) in that order.
Summers leads the Bison in hits with 25, while Sorbera has 24 and Herrington has 23.
Rowles, Sorbera and Summer are the RBI leaders with 15 apiece.
Rowles is tops in runs scored with 15, one more than Herrington and two more than Summers.
Second baseman Will Myers is hitting .276, first baseman Erik Sellers is right behind at .275 and third baseman Cole Kephart is at .246 with a team-high five doubles.
Tuesday’s winner will play Punxsy (17-1) Thursday for the District 9 title at site and time to be announced.
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 | 6 – 5 | 11 – 3 |
5/01 | (protest by BEA reults in loss) | 0 – 7 | 10 – 4 |
5/04 | @ Penns Valley | 7 – 6 | 11 – 4 |
5/05 | @ Bellefonte | 5 – 10 | 11 – 5 |
5/07 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 13 – 3 | 12 – 5 |
5/11 | CURWENSVILLE | 7 – 2 | 13 – 5 |
5/14 | BROOKVILLE | 11 – 1 | 14 – 5 |
5/15 | @ DuBois | 1 – 4 | 15 – 5 |
5/19 | District 9 AAA Semifinals | ||
5/19 | BRADFORD |