STATE COLLEGE — The Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team locked up fourth place in the Central Penn League and home field for the first round of the championship playoffs by defeating State College 6-2 at Community Field Wednesday evening.
The Chiefs pulled out their fifth consecutive win with all of their runs in the sixth inning, thanks to a misplay and ensuing control problems by two State College pitchers.
A two-run double by Brandon Orsich that tied the game was the key hit in the rally.
Clearfield’s only other hit in the inning was a single by Marcus Luzier that loaded the bases for Orsich after winning pitcher Curt Collins reached on an error and Will Myers drew the first of five walks issued by Gavin Schaefer-Hood and Oliver Dailey.
Free passes to Jon Trimpey, Ty Bender and Tommy Hazel pushed across two runs, Josh Sorbera was hit by a pitch for an RBI and Collins received a walk to force in the final run.
Aided by a pair of double plays, Collins scattered six singles in going the distance to complete the Chiefs’ rare regular-season sweep of State College, which lost only two other games.
He registered both of his strikeouts in the fifth inning, when he walked the bases full and gave up an RBI single by Schaefer-Hood that made it 2-0.
John Bergman singled home the first run in the third following a Clearfield error.
Collins walked four and hit one batter in his second win in four decisions.
The Chiefs finished 8-7 in the league and are 9-8 overall going into the double-elimination playoffs that get under way Friday with Huntingdon visiting the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field for a 6 p.m. start.
Other first round pairings are Bellefonte at State College and Clarence at Mifflin County.
Regular season champion Beech Creek receives a bye.
Central Penn League final standings — Beech Creek 14-0, Mifflin County 11-4, State College 9-4, Clearfield 8-7, Huntingdon 7-7, Bellefonte 5-11, Clarence 4-8, Altoona 2-10, Philipsburg 2-11.
CLEARFIELD — 6
Josh Sorbera c 2001, Curt Collins p 2101, Will Myers ss 2100, Marcus Luzier 3b 3110, Brandon Orsich 1b 4112, Jon Trimpey cf 3100, Jake Sorbera rf-eh-rf-eh-rf-eh-rf 3000, Jarrit Wagner ph 1000, Ty Bender eh-rf-eh-rf-eh-rf-eh 2111, Reese Wilson lf 2000, Tommy Hazel lf 0001, Justin Fedder 2b 1010, Thayne Morgan 2b 1000. TOTALS: 26 6 4 6.
STATE COLLEGE — 2
Gavin Schaefer-Hood ss-p-ss 3011, Greg Copenhaver rf 3000, Tyler Hall 1b-ss-1b 2021, Sam Plafcan c 3010, Tristan Ballenger p-1b-lf 3010, Pete Haffner 3b 3000, Dalton Barger cf 2100 Josh Gardner lf 2100, Oliver Dailey p 0000, Kerry Magnus 2b 0000, Zach Broom 2b 1000, John Bergman eh 2010. TOTALS: 24 2 6 2.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 000 006 0 – 6 4 1
State College 001 010 0 – 2 6 1
E – Fedder; Hall. PB – Jo. Sorbera. DP – Clearfield 2 (Myers and Fedder; Morgan, Myers and Orsich). LOB – Clearfield 10; State College 7. 2B – Orsich. Sac – Magnus. CS – Hall (by Jo. Sorbera).
Pitching
Clearfield – Collins 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
State College – Ballenger 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K; Schaefer-Hood 2-1/3 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K; Dailey 1-2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
HB – Collins 1 (Magnus); Dailey 1 (Jo. Sorbera).
W – Collins 2-2. L – Schaefer-Hood.