BELLEFONTE — In a pivotal game for the Central Penn League Playoffs, the Clearfield American Legion baseball team pounded out a season-high 12 hits behind workhorse pitcher Brandon Orsich to defeat Bellefonte 12-2 on John Montgomery Ward Field in Governors Park Wednesday evening.
Josh Sorbera and Jarrit Wagner led the offense with two hits apiece as the Post 6 Chiefs got production up and down the lineup to raise their record to 6-4 and leapfrog the Bandits (4-4-1) into fourth place to gain the upper hand in the chase for a first-round home game.
Ten Chiefs scored at least one run, and eight drove run, with Sorbera registering two.
Orsich went the distance for the third time in six days, limiting the Bandits to six hits while striking out six and walking none.
The Bandits committed eight errors that resulted in eight unearned runs for the Chiefs, who scored in every inning except the third.
A double by Justin Fedder triggered a three-run uprising in the first frame. Sorbera and Bryce Timko had RBIs with a single and sacrifice fly, respectively.
In the second inning, Reese Wilson’s single gave the Chiefs a 4-0 lead that the Bandits immediately cut in half with four of their hits, including Ethan Corman’s RBI double and Kyle Gill’s RBI single.
Orsich faced only two batters over the minimum after that to post his fifth win in six decisions.
Wagner doubled home Orsich and scored on an error to extend the Chiefs’ advantage to 6-3 in the fourth inning, and they tacked on six runs against three Bandit pitchers in the last three frames.
Clearfield, 9-5 overall, will travel to Philipsburg Thursday and host Beech Creek in a make-up game Friday.
Central Penn League Standings — Beech Creek 9-2, State College 9-2, Mifflin County 8-3, Clearfield 6-4, Bellefonte 4-4-1, DuBois 2-6, Clarence 1-9-1, Philipsburg 1-10.
CLEARFIELD — 12
Justin Fedder 2b 3210, Reese Wilson cf 4111, Josh Sorbera 3b 4121, Zane Morgan c 4110, Bryce Timko 1b 3111, Will Myers ss 2111, Jake Sorbera lf 3001, Alec Graham lf 1110, Brandon Orsich p 3211, Jarrit Wagner eh 4221, Wyatt Porter rf 1001, Alex Coval rf 2010. TOTALS: 34 12 12 9.
BELLEFONTE — 2
Dylan Deitrich ss 3000, Gehrig Schuster p-3b 3010, Ryan McElwee eh-2b 2000, Tanner Helms cf-p-1b 3010, Cayden Lucas 3b-1b 3110, Craig Watson c 3100, Ethan Corman 1b-cf 3021, Darren Heeman 2b-p 2000, Kyle Gill rf 2011, Jacob Gates lf 2000. TOTALS: 26 2 6 2.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 310 221 3 – 12 12 2
Bellefonte 020 000 0 – 2 6 8
E – Myers, Orsich; Deitrich, Schuster, Helms, Lucas 3, Corman, Gill. PB – Watson. LOB – Clearfield 8; Bellefonte 4. 2B – Fedder, Wagner; Corman. Sac – Fedder; McElwee. SF – Timko, Myers. SB – Corman. CS – Lucas (by Z. Morgan).
Pitching
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.
Bellefonte – Schuster 5 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Helms 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Heeman 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
WP – Schuster 1.
W – Orsich (5-1). L – Schuster.