CLEARIELD — Ryan Pasternak’s two-run double in the top of the seventh inning gave DuBois a 4-2 win over the Clearfield American Legion baseball team in their Central Penn League Championship Tournament opener at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Thursday evening.
The Chiefs, the hosts because of their fourth-place finish, had rallied to knot the score in the bottom of the sixth when Josh Sorbera drew a walk, Ty Bender doubled to deep left field and Jarrit Wagner singled sharply to left for the two RBIs.
Clearfield’s mound staff had held opponents scoreless in the seventh inning all season, but that difficult achievement went by the boards on Pasternak’s blast to center that ruined a quality effort by Jake Sorbera.
Drew Bankovich led off with a full-count walk, stole second base and beat the throw to third on Adam Bankovich’s grounder to short. The latter moved up to second in defensive indifference to set the stage for Pasternak.
Two-out doubles by Adam Bankovich and Pasternak got the visitors on the board in the first frame, and Braden Paulinellie made it 2-0 with a two-out single that drove in Daron Walker in the fourth.
Wagner’s clutch hit in the sixth briefly took Sorbera off the hook, but he ultimately shouldered the loss in a route-going performance. He allowed 10 hits and three walks while striking out four.
Justin Miknis pitched the first four innings for DuBois, striking out the last six Chiefs he faced after surrendering singles to Thayne Morgan and Justin Fedder in the third.
Paulinellie worked the next two innings, giving up the tying runs but winding up the winner.
Noah Schneider came on in the seventh to nail it down with three strikeouts.
The Chiefs collected nine hits but struck out 11 times and stranded 10 runners.
Morgan led the Post 6 team with three hits, while Josh Sorbera singled twice and Bryce Timko doubled.
Clearfield (12-7) will play an elimination game Saturday at 2 p.m. on the road against the loser of Friday’s semifinal between No. 2 seed State College (11-4) and Mifflin County (11-4).
State College trimmed Clarence 7-5 and Mifflin County nipped Bellefonte 4-3 in other first-round action.
DuBois, which rolled into the playoffs with four wins in the last five games to claim fifth place, will take a 7-8 record to Beech Creek Friday to test the regular-season champion Crickets (12-2) in the other winner’s bracket semi.
Clarence (1-13-1) will go to Bellefonte (5-9-1) in the lone elimination bracket game Friday.
DUBOIS — 4
Braden Paulinellie ss-p-3b 3011, Drew Bankovich rf 4120, Adam Bankovich c 4210, Ryan Pasternak 1b 3023, Ethan Long lf 0000, Justin Miknis p-ss 3010, Jackson Frank lf-cf 4000, Daron Walker 3b-1b 4120, Brendon Foley 2b 2000, Ryan Radaker ph 1000, Noah Schneider lf-p 0000, Mitchell Ferra cf-2b 2010. TOTALS: 30 4 10 4.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Thayne Morgan lf-ss 4030, Justin Fedder 2b 4010, Zane Morgan c-lf 4000, Josh Sorbera 3b-c 3120, Ty Bender rf 4110, Jarrit Wagner dh 4012, Reese Wilson cf 3000, Will Myers ss-3b 2000, Bryce Timko 1b 2010. TOTALS: 30 2 9 2.
Score by Innings
DuBois 100 100 2 – 4 10 0
Clearfield 000 000 0 – 2 9 0
DP – Clearfield 1 (Timko unassisted). LOB – DuBois 9; Clearfield 10. 2B – A. Bankovich, Pasternak 2; Bender, Timko. SB – Paulinellie, D. Bankovich.
Pitching
DuBois – Miknis 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; Paulinelli 2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Schneider 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
Clearfield – Jake Sorbera 7 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.
WP Miknis 1; Ja. Sorbera 2.
W – Paulinelli. L – Ja. Sorbera (3-1). Sv – Schneider.
Umpires – Gary Kost (plate) and Scott Viehdorfer (bases).