CLEARFIELD — The Clearfield American Legion baseball team gained some momentum for the Central Penn League Championship Playoffs with a streak-ending 7-5 win over Mifflin County at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Tuesday evening.
The Post 6 Chiefs, who had lost nine games in a row to the perennial title contenders since last beating them in a 2012 postseason elimination showdown, struck for five runs in the second inning and built a 7-2 lead before holding off the visitors’ late comeback bid.
Mifflin County made it interesting in the sixth frame when Cade Attick doubled in one run and trotted home on Ty Bodtorf’s home run over the left field fence.
With Clearfield ace Brandon Orsich one out away from his sixth win in seven decisions, Mifflin County mounted another threat.
Kenny Cavanaugh lofted a single over shortstop, Ross Underhill walked and Zach Hostetler lined a single to left field to push the tying runs into scoring position for Isaac Maclay, who already had two hits.
Orsich won the last battle as Maclay launched a high fly to deep center.
The big right-hander prevailed on a night when he didn’t have his best stuff, allowing nine hits and three walks and hitting two batters. He struck out six.
Jarrit Wagner ignited Clearfield’s early outburst against Attick with a double to left center. Reese Wilson was hit by a pitch and, after Jake Sorbera bunted the runners up a base, Will Myers got a fortunate hop on a grounder up the middle to tie the score at 1-1.
After Bryce Timko walked, Thayne Morgan bounced into a forceout that plated Wilson. Justin Fedder ripped a single past third base for an RBI before Zane Morgan capped the rally with a two-run double to deep left center.
Timko’s sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and Wagner’s RBI single in the fifth put the Chiefs up by five.
Wagner and Zane Morgan each had two of Clearfield’s 10 hits off Attick.
Attick and Bodtorf joined Maclay in the two-hit column for Mifflin County, which fell to 10-4 but remained in a tie for second place with State College. The latter has the edge for the playoffs by sweeping their season series..
Manager Sid Lansberry’s Chiefs wound up fourth for the second straight season at 9-5, their best record since rejoining the CPL in 2012.
Clearfield (12-6) will open the league’s double-elimination tournament by hosting DuBois Thursday at the LTRP diamond at 6 p.m.
A win would give the Chiefs a road game against regular season champion Beech Creek Friday, while a loss would drop them into an elimination bracket game Saturday at 2 p.m.
Other first-round match-ups will send Clarence to State College and Bellefonte to Mifflin County.
Final standings — Beech Creek 12-2, State College 10-4, Mifflin County10-4, Clearfield 9-5, DuBois 6-8, Bellefonte 5-8-1, Philipsburg 2-12, Clarence 1-12-1.
MIFFLIN COUNTY — 5
Ross Underhill 3b 3010, Zach Hostetler lf 4010, Isaac Maclay c 4121, Andrew Larson 2b 2100, Cade Attick p 3122, Ty Bodtorf ss 2122, Ty Ferencz eh 2000, Aaron Kanagy ph 1000, Drew West over 1b 3000, Nick Hostetler cf 2000, Kenny Cavanaugh rf 2110. TOTALS: 28 5 9 5.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Thayne Morgan eh-ss 4111, Justin Fedder 2b 3111, Wyatt Porter 2b 1010, Zane Morgan c 4122, Josh Sorbera 3b 2000, Ty Bender rf 3010, Alec Graham rf 0000, Jarrit Wagner dh 3121, Alex Coval pr 0000, Jake Sorbera lf 2100, Will Myers ss-eh 2111, Bryce Timko 1b 1011. TOTALS: 27 7 10 7.
Score by Innings
Mifflin County 011 003 0 – 5   9 3
Clearfield        050 110 x – 7 10 3
E – Underhill, Larson, Attick; Fedder, Jo. Sorbera, Brandon Orsich. PB – Maclay. LOB – Mifflin County 7; Clearfield 8. 2B – Attick, Bodtorf; T. Morgan, Z. Morgan, Wagner. HR – Bodtorf. Sac – Ja. Sorbera, Myers. SF – Timko. SB – Larson; Z. Morgan. CS – Bodtorf (by Z. Morgan).
Pitching
Mifflin County – Attick 6 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
HB – Attick 1 (Wilson); Orsich 2 (Bodtorf, Cavanaugh). PO – Orsich 1 (Kanagy).
W – Orsich (6-1). L – Attick.
Umpires – Rob Murphy (plate) and Rob Morgan (bases).
