CLEARFIELD — The Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies continued their recent domination of the Clearfield “Past-Your-Prime” Modified Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament by rolling to another championship Saturday and Sunday at the Bucky Strunk Memorial Field.
They racked up 41 hits while pitchers Kenny Fisher and Bobby Kendall, backed by flawless defense, surrendered only one double and eight singles in three Mercy Rule wins.
A five-inning, 12-2 victory over Siegel Engraving/Buster’s Sports Bar sent them to the winner’s bracket final, where they opened the steamy second day by turning back the Meatheads 11-1 in five innings.
The Meatheads, who have played in all 21 “Past-Your-Prime” tourneys and reigned four times, earned another crack at the Bedford crew by ousting Bob Boob Garage 9-5 in the elimination bracket final.
However, the championship game evolved much like the previous duel with the Over-the-Hillbillies prevailing 11-1 in six innings to claim their third consecutive title and their fourth in the last five annual tourneys for players 40 and older.
Then, the Over-the-Hillbillies, who retired the second decade traveling trophy last year, were presented the shiny third decade hardware by Richard Provost of the U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. William L. Dixon Detachment in Clearfield.
Proceeds generated from the entry fees, fund-raisers and the concession stand go to the detachment for the U.S. Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” mission.
After receiving a first-round bye, the Over-the-Hillbillies struck for six runs in the first inning and added to their lead in the next three frames against Siegel/Buster’s.
Brett Cessna paced a 13-hit attack with a single, double and the weekend’s lone home run. Matt Wysong and Jim Hartshorne chipped in with a single and a double apiece.
Fisher fashioned a two-hitter in his lone start.
Kendall stymied the Meatheads both times, logging a three-hitter and a four-hitter.
In the winner’s bracket final, the bottom three batters showed the depth of the Bedford lineup by combining for six hits and scoring eight runs. Don Ellis was a perfect three-for-three, Tim Diehl had two singles and was hit by a pitch and Bill Bumgardner singled and also was hit by a pitch.
The Wysong brothers chased ‘em across the plate, Scott driving in four runs, two with a double, and Matt contributing two RBI singles receiving a walk with the bases-loaded to make it a true walk-off win.
Harshbarger’s two-run single, the first of his three hits, gave the Over-the-Hillbillies a quick lead in the finale, and Brent Kauffman’s RBI double and Matt Wysong’s RBI single made it 4-1 in the second.
The first of the Meatheads’ two double plays kept them off the board in the third inning, but they came right back with five runs in the fourth as Kauffman, Matt Wysong, Harshbarger, Lee Roy and Diehl socked RBI singles.
Ellis delivered the game-ending hit with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
The Meatheads finished 3-2 after their first title game appearance in several years, edging Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub 4-3 in eight innings and Bob Boob Garage 7-6 before bumping into Bedford the first time.
Mike Moskel was working on a two-hit shutout when Denny’s erased the Meatheads’ 3-0 lead in the sixth inning, two of the runs unearned.
In the bottom of the eighth, Mark Luzier came through with the game-ending hit after Tom Danver doubled and Todd Hainsey singled.
They had pairs of hits, as did Jason Gerg and Russell Bumbarger.
Three runs in the bottom of the sixth lifted the Meatheads past Boob’s in the winner’s bracket semifinal.
Bumbarger singled home one run and, following L.J. Shaw’s game-tying sacrifice fly, scored the game-winner when the throw went awry as he stole third base.
Scott Cochran had three of Boob’s five hits off winning pitcher Scott Hanley.
In the rematch with a trip to the finals on the line, the teams appeared headed for another close finish before the Meatheads erupted for five runs in the top of the sixth inning for a 7-1 cushion.
The key blows were two-run singles by Luzier and Doug Danver.
Pat Gerg and Jack Rumfola each had two singles for the Meatheads, while Brent Thomas and Chris Peacock had pairs of hits off Moskel, who allowed seven safeties in his second win.
Boob’s also wound up 3-2 for third place, including a 2-1 squeaker over Potter’s Bricklayers in the elimination bracket semifinal.
That pitching duel between Peacock and Jerry Watson wasn’t settled until the former induced a groundout with two runners on base in the top of the seventh inning.
Peacock gave up six hits, two by Gary Folmar, and Watson allowed only four, two by Thomas.
The outcome was decided by Brian Barr’s surprise two-out, two-strike bunt that scored Aaron Elensky in the fifth inning.
Boob’s had to go eight innings to edge the Bricklayers 6-5 in the first round, singles by Brent Lykens, Joe Rumsky and Barry Kline giving Bob Gearhart his second victory.
That trio and Thomas had two hits apiece, while Jimmy Thal tripled and singled twice for Potter’s.
Boob’s other win was 20-0 over Buster’s Sports Bar/Downriver in the elimination bracket quarterfinals with Gearhart pitching a four-hit shutout and Thomas, Kline, Elensky and Tom Greslick banging out two hits apiece.
Potter’s posted two wins in the elimination bracket, ousting Denny’s 4-0 with Terry Potter firing a six-hitter and outlasting Siegel/Buster’s 16-11.
Top hitter’s for the Philipsburg team that has been represented in every “Past-Your-Prime” tourney were Scott Prohaska with three and Folmar, Keith Hahn, Travis Henry and Rob Harris with two apiece against Denny‘s and Prohaska with three and Folmar, Henry and Harris with two apiece against Siegel/Buster‘s.
Jeff Miller had three hits and Todd Stiner, Steve Sunderland, Hank Wilson, Pete Hess and Joe Hess each had two for Siegel/Buster’s, which had opened the tourney by bouncing Buster’s/Downriver 16-3 in 4½ innings in the opener.
Siegel/Buster’s sent 18 batters to the plate in a 14-run second inning to make Mick Kolar the winner.
Sunderland singled and doubled for two RBIs and Miller had a pair of singles, while R.J. Myers had three RBIs and Pete Hess, Jay Siegel and Gary Springer added two apiece.
CHAMPIONSHIP
MEATHEADS — 1
Jack Gerg 2b 2000, Steve Bressler 1b 3010, Pat Gerg ss 2000, Tom Danver dh 3000, Todd Hainsey 3b 2110, Jack Rumfola c 2011, Mark Luzier rf 1000, L.J. Shaw cf 2010, Russell Bumbarger lf 1000, Pat Pallo eh 2000. TOTALS: 20 1 4 1.
BEDFORD OVER-THE-HILLBILLIES 11
Brent Kauffman 3122, Scott Wysong ss 4000, Matt Wysong lf 4232, Brent Cessna cf 3220, Jim Harshbarger 1b 4233, Lee Roy c 3121, Bobby Kendall p 3000, Tim Diehl 3b 3021, Don Ellis 2b 3111, Bill Bumgardner eh 1210. TOTALS: 31 11 16 10.
Score by Innings
Meatheads 001 000 – 1 4 2
Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies 220 502 – 11 16 0
E – Bressler, Moskel. DP – Meatheads 2 (Hainsey and Bressler; J. Gerg and Bressler); Bedford 1 (Diehl and Harshbarger); LOB – Meatheds 5; Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies 11. 2B – Kauffman, Cessna. Sac – Bumgardner. CS – Diehl (by Rumfola).
Pitching
Meatheads – Moskel 5-2/3 IP, 16 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 0 K.
Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies – Kendall 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K.
W – Kendall (2-0). L – Moskel (2-1).
Umpires – Bill Bacharach (plate) and Marcus Luzier (bases).
* * * * * * * * * *
ELIMINATION BRACKET FINAL
Meatheads 000 205 2 – 9 11
Bob Boob Garage 000 104 0 – 5 7
W – Moskel (2-0). L – Chris Peacock (1-2).
Two hits – P. Gerg, Rumfola, Shaw, Doug Danver (M); Brent Thomas, Peacock (BBG).
3B – Barry Kline (BBG).
* * * * * * * * * *
ELIMINATION BRACKET SEMIFINAL
Potter’s Bricklayers 000 100 0 – 1 6
Bob Boob Garage 001 010 x – 2 4
W – Peacock (1-1). L – Jerry Watson (1-1).
Two hits – Gary Folmar (PB); Thomas (BBG).
2B – Kline (BBG).
* * * * * * * * * *
WINNER’S BRACKET FINAL
Meatheads 010 00 – 1 3
Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies 143 03 – 11 12
W – Kendall (1-0). L – Scott Hanley (1-1).
Three hits – Ellis (B). Two hits – M. Wysong, Diehl (B).
2B – P. Gerg (M); S. Wysong (B).
* * * * * * * * * *
ELIMINATION BRACKET QUARTERFINALS
Potter’s Bricklayers 009 205 0 – 16 16
Siegel Engraving/Buster’s Sports Bar 000 911 0 – 11 15
W – Terry Potter (2-1). L – Mick Kolar (1-2).
Three hits – Scott Prohaska (PB); Jeff Miller (SE/BSB). Two hits – Travis Henry, Gary Folmar, Rob Harris (PB); Todd Stiner, Steve Sunderland, Hank Wilson, Pete Hess, Joe Hess (SE/BSB).
* * * * *
Buster’s Sports Bar/Downriver 000 00 – 0 4
Bob Boob Garage 806 6x – 20 12
W – Bob Gearhart (2-0).
Two hits – Thomas, Tom Greslick, Aaron Elensky (BBG).
2B – Peacock, Kline, Jason Walker (BBG).
* * * * * * * * * *
ELIMINATION BRACKET FIRST ROUND
Potter’s Bricklayers 001 201 0 – 4 14
Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub 000 000 0 – 0 6
W – Potter (2-0). L – Randy Sones (0-2).
Three hits – Prohaska (PB); J. Two hits – Keith Hahn, Henry, Folmar, Harris (PB).
* * * * * * * * * *
WINNER’S BRACKET SEMIFINALS
Bob Boob Garage 300 030 0 – 6 7
Meatheads 013 003 x – 7 8
W – Hanley (1-0). L – Peacock (0-1).
Three hits – Thomas (BBG). Two hits – P. Gerg, T. Danver (M).
3B – Thomas (BBG). 2B – P. Gerg, Bob Harper (M).
* * * * *
Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies 631 20 – 12 13
Siegel Engraving/Buster’s Sports Bar 200 00 – 2 2
W – Kenny Fisher (1-0). L – Kolar (1-1).
Three hits – Cessna (B). Two hits – M. Wysong, Hershberger (B).
HR – Cessna (B). 2B – M. Wysong, Cessna, Harshbarger, Kendall, Diehl (B).
* * * * * * * * * *
WINNER’S BRACKET QUARTERFINALS
Potter’s Bricklayers 300 011 00 – 5 10
Bob Boob Garage 013 003 0x – 6 12
W – Gearhart (1-0). L – Potter (0-1).
Three hits – Jim Thal (PB). Two hits – Thomas, Brent Lykens, Joe Rumsky, Kline (BBG).
3B – Thal (PB).
* * * * *
Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub 000 003 00 – 3 5
Meatheads 100 200 01 – 4 13
W – Moskel (1-0). L – Sones (0-1).
Three hits – Scott Cochran (DBBP). Two hits – J. Gerg, T. Danver, Hainsey, Luzier, Bumbarger (M).
2B – T. Danver, Shaw (M).
* * * * *
Buster’s Sports Bar/Downriver 0 0 0 30 – 3 3
Siegel Engraving/Buster’s Sports Bar 0(14)2 0x – 16 7
W – Kolar (1-0). L – Doug Saltsman (0-1).
Two hits – Miller, Sunderland (SE/BSB).
2B – Sunderland, R.J. Myers (SE/BSB).
TOURNAMENT SCOREBOARD
Saturday, Aug. 15
Winner’s Bracket Quarterfinals
Game 1 – Siegel Engraving/Buster’s Sports Bar 16, Buster’s Sports Bar Downriver 3 (4½ innings)
Game 2 – Meatheads 4, Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub 3 (8 innings)
Game 3 – Bob Boob Garage 6, Potter’s Bricklayers 5 (8 innings)Winner’s Bracket Semifinals
Game 4 – Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies 12, Siegel Engraving/Buster’s Sports Bar 2 (5 innings)
Game 5 – Meatheads 7, Bob Boob Garage 6Elimination Bracket First Round
Game 6 – Potter’s Bricklayers 4, Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub 3
Elimination Bracket Quarterfinals
Game 7 – Bob Boob Garage 20, Buster’s Sports Bar Downriver 0 (4½ innings)
Game 8 – Potter’s Bricklayers 16, Siegel Engraving/Buster’s Sports Bar 11Sunday, Aug. 16
Winner’s Bracket Final
Game 9 – Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies 11, Meatheads 1 (5 innings)
Elimination Bracket Semifinal
Game 10 – Bob Boob Garage 2, Potter’s Bricklayers 1
Elimination Bracket Final
Game 11 – Meatheads 9, Bob Boob Garage 5
Championship
Game 12 – Bedford Over-the-Hillbillies 11, Meatheads 1 (6 innings)