CLEARFIELD — Will Myers logged his first win and complete game, Josh Sorbera whacked three doubles and courtesy runner Thayne Morgan scored for him each time as the Clearfield American Legion baseball team continued its charge toward home-field advantage for the first round of the Central Penn League Playoffs by rolling past Altoona 7-0 at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Sunday afternoon.
The John Lewis Shade Post 6 Chiefs are lodged in fourth place at 6-7 going into the final week of the regular season.
Myers gave the mound staff a big boost by going the distance on a three-hitter with a career-high 10 strikeouts. He walked seven but was able to locate pressure pitches and strand nine Altoona runners, five of them in scoring position.
None of the visitors reached third base, though, after their bases-loaded threat in the second inning ended with a flyout.
Clearfield (7-8) changed the scoreboard in each of the first four innings, a first for this season.
Myers drove in the only run he needed with a first-inning single through the middle.
Ty Bender reached second on an error, advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored on Reese Wilson’s groundout in the second frame.
The Chiefs made it a 5-0 cushion for Myers in the third. Marcus Luzier drilled a two-run single through the middle and later crossed the plate on Jon Trimpey’s groundout.
Jake Sorbera’s single and back-to-back RBI doubles by Josh Sorbera and Curt Collins closed out the scoring in the fourth.
The Chiefs will return to the LTRP Field Monday for their fourth home game in five days with Bellefonte visiting for a 6 p.m. start.
Central Penn League standings – Beech Creek 13-0, State College 9-2, Mifflin County 8-2, Clearfield 6-7, Huntingdon 4-6, Clarence 4-8, Bellefonte 4-9, Altoona 2-8, Philipsburg 2-10.
ALTOONA — 0
Corey Love cf 3000, Alex Weaver ss 2010, Jack Hunter eh 2000, Jake Lindner c 3000, Logan McGeary 3b 1000, Mason Betar rf 1000, Tanner Swales rf 1010, Andrew Gressler 2b 2010, Caimen Nicolini p 2000, Eric Hill lf 2000, Hugo Smith 1b 3000. TOTALS: 22 0 3 0.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Josh Sorbera c 3331, Curt Collins 2b 3111, Marcus Luzier 3b 3112, Brandon Orsich 1b 2000, Seth Bumbarger 1b 0000, Will Myers p 2011, Jon Trimpey cf 2001, Ty Bender eh-rf-eh-rf–eh 2100, Jarrit Wagner ph-rf 1000, Jake Sorbera rf-eh-rf-eh-rf-eh 2110, Reese Wilson lf 2001, Tommy Hazel lf 1010, Zane Morgan ss 2000, Thayne Morgan ss 1000. TOTALS: 26 7 8 7.
Score by Innings
Altoona 000 000 0 – 0 3 2
Clearfield 113 200 x – 7 8 0
E – Weaver, McGeary. DP – Clearfield 1 (Hazel and Collins). LOB – Altoona 9; Clearfield 7. 2B – Weaver; Jo. Sorbera 3, Collins. Sac – Gressler; Myers, J. Sorbera. SB – Weaver.
Pitching
Altoona – Nicolini 6 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K.
Clearfield – Myers 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 7 BB, 10 K.
HB – Nicolini 1 (Jo. Sorbera). WP – Nicolini 1.
W – Myers (1-2). L – Nicolini.
Umpires – Jerry Neal (plate) and J.R. Rosselli (bases).