CLEARFIELD — Team Peacock rode a fast start to a 9-4 win over Team Lansberry in the 11th annual Clearfield Area High School Bison Baseball Alumni Game at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Saturday afternoon.
Getting a break from the weatherman on a day when surrounding areas were doused by heavy downpours, 19 former Red and Black players came out of retirement once again to display their diamond dexterity for the benefit of the Clearfield Baseball Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Brandon Billotte and Jarrett Fulmer shared Most Valuable Player laurels for Team Peacock after combining for five shutout innings on the mound and six hits, half of them doubles, and three runs batted in.
Billotte blanked Team Lansberry on one hit over the first three frames while Team Peacock was building a 4-0 lead, and Fulmer closed it out by setting down six of the seven batters he faced in the last two innings.
At the plate, Billotte collected four hits, include a pair of doubles, and had two RBIs, while Fulmer singled and doubled, drove in a run and scored two runs.
Chris Peacock also rated serious consideration for the MVP trophy with a double and two singles, two RBIs and one inning on the bump, allowing one hit.
The Peacock family accounted for seven of their team’s 15 hits with Randy delivering a pair of RBI singles and father Larry, a 1964 graduate who was the oldest participant, chipping in with a single after also drawing a walk and scoring a run. Larry also recorded six putouts at first base.
Hard-hit RBI singles by Chris and Randy Peacock and Kevin Lykens established Team Peacock’s superiority in the first inning, and they never looked back.
Back-to-back doubles by Chris Peacock and Billotte made it 4-0 in the third.
The lead was doubled in the fourth via run-scoring hits by Fulmer, Chirs Peacock and Randy Peacock and a sacrifice fly by Ryan Bender.
In the bottom of the middle inning, Frank Hipps earned MVP honors for Team Lansberry by hammering a two-run double to deep center field and scoring on Jeff Norris’ liner into left.
The teams matched singletons in the fifth, Billotte driving in Larry Peacock for the visitors and Adam Jury belting a home run to left for Team Lansberry.
Gold Glove Award recipients were Team Peacock third baseman Matt Peacock, who dove to turn Derek Danver’s line shot into a double play in the first inning and handled four other opportunities flawlessly, and Team Lansberry’s Isaac Graham, who got a real workout behind the plate for several innings before finishing the game at first base.
Shane Davis was named Rookie of the Year.
Jury cleared the fence twice to win the Home Run Derby with 11 points, edging out defending champ Billotte (10) and Chris Peacock (9).
Proceeds from the slugging contest and the 50-50 fund-raiser were earmarked for the FCA in memory of Jeremy Learish, a 2015 Bison junior varsity player who passed away last month. His father, Dave, was an assistant coach for the JV team.
Jury also donated his Home Run Derby purse to the sports ministry, as did Janette and Matt Peacock after winning the 50-50
EXTRA INNINGS — Longtime Bison head coach Sid Lansberry (Class of 1964) and Randy Ardery (’81) were the Team Lansberry coaches… Frank Keenan of Punxsutawney and Bill Bacharach (’70) were the volunteer umpires behind the plate and on the bases, respectively… Announcer Don Shimmel (’84), a Bison assistant coach, provided each player’s baseball background, including post-high school careers, when they stepped into the batter‘s box… Members of the 1980 and 1990 teams in attendance were recognized on the anniversary of their District 9 championship seasons… The national anthem was sung by Sara Liptak and Megan Liptak Kirkwood, granddaughters of former Bison Jack Morris (’64).
TEAM PEACOCK — 9
Jarrett Fulmer (’11) ss-p 4221, Matt Peacock (’94) 3b 4210, Chris Peacock (’91) c-p-ss 5332,
Brandon Billotte (’98) p-cf 5042, Randy Peacock (’03) lf 5022, Ryan Bender (’94) cf-p-c 4001, Kevin Lykens 2b (’95) 2011, Aaron Rowles (’96) rf 4110, Larry Peacock (’65) 1b 3110. TOTALS: 36 9 15 9.
TEAM LANSBERRY — 3
Gary Schucker (’79) 3b 1000, Dave Learish (’88) 3b-lf-p 3000, Adam Jury (’07) ss-1b-3b 2111, Tom “Bump” Danver (’82) 2b-c 4000, Derek Danver (’11) p-ss 3100, Don Beau seigneur (’80) lf-2b 3000, Isaac Graham (’90) c-1b 2110, Shane Davis (’06) 1b-p-lf 2110, Frank Hipps (’90) rf 3012, Jeff Norris (’76) 3011. TOTALS: 26 4 5 4.
Score by Innings
Team Peacock 301 401 0 – 9 15 1
Team Lansberry 000 310 0 – 4 5 1
DP – Team Peacock 1 (M. Peacock and Lykens). LOB – Team Peacock 12; Team Lansberry 6. 2B – Fulmer, C. Peacock, Billotte, Rowles; Graham, Hipps. HR – Jury.
Pitching
Team Peacock – Billotte 3 IP, 1 H,0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K; Bender 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; C. Peacock 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Fulmer 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Team Lansberry – D. Danver 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K; Davis 2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K; Learish 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
W – Billotte. L – D. Danver.