HYDE — Brandon Orsich came through with his arm and his bat to key the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team’s 3-1 win over State College at the Bison Sports Complex Wednesday evening.
Orsich pitched a solid, efficient six-hitter with two strikeouts, no walks and one hit batsman.
The complete game was the third in four appearances for the fast-working right-hander, who owns two of the Chiefs’ three wins in the Central Penn League.
He also delivered the biggest hit with a clutch, two-out single in the first inning that drove in Will Myers and Marcus Luzier. Both had walked and moved up on a wild pitch.
Clearfield’s only other hit was a two-out double by Josh Sorbera that set the final score in the third frame. Reese Wilson scored after drawing Dailey’s third walk and advancing on Curt Collins’ sacrifice bunt.
John Bergman singled across the lone run for State College (3-2) in the second inning.
The visitors threatened again in the fourth, loading the bases with one out with three of their hits, but Orsich escaped unharmed via a foul pop-up and a strikeout.
He went on to set down the next seven batters on just eight pitches before hitting Zach Ripka and surrendering a two-out bloop single to Bergman in the final inning. He induced a weak grounder to end it.
Orsich had to finish strong, for hard-throwing State College southpaw Tristan Ballenger struck out seven of the nine Chiefs he faced in a perfect relief stint.
Ripka joined Bergman in the two-hit column for State College.
Clearfield (3-3) travels to Huntingdon Thursday for a make-up of Tuesday’s rainout.
STATE COLLEGE — 1
Dalton Barger cf 3000, Greg Copenhaver rf 3010, Tyler Hall ss 3010, Sam Plafcan eh 3000, Zach Ripka 1b 2120, Pete Haffner dh 3000, John Bergman c 3021, Tristan Ballenger cr 0000, Gavin Schaefer-Hood 2b 3000, Tucker Triebold 3b 2000, Josh Garner lf 1000. TOTALS: 26 1 6 1.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Curt Collins lf-cf 2000, Will Myers ss 2100, Josh Sorbera c 3011, Marcus Luzier 3b 1100, Brandon Orsich p 2012, Logan Lykens 1b 2000, Ty Bender eh 2000, Jake Sorbera rf 2000, Zane Morgan lf 0000, Justin Fedder 2b 2000, Thayne Morgan 2b 0000, Reese Wilson cf 1100, Tommy Hazel rf 0000. TOTALS: 19 3 2 3.
Score by Innings
State College 010 000 0 – 1 6 0
Clearfield 201 000 x – 3 2 1
E – Myers. LOB – State College 6; Clearfield 2. 2B – Jo. Sorbera. Sac – Garner; Collins. CS – Ballenger (by Jo. Sorbera).
Pitching
State College – Oliver Dailey 3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Ballenger 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K.
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
HB – Orsich 1 (Ripka). WP – Dailey 1.
W – Orsich (2-1). L – Dailey.
Umpires – J.R. Rosselli (plate) and Mark Michelucci (bases).