EVERETT — Lack of a big hit while building an early lead came back to haunt the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team Saturday afternoon as Claysburg rallied to defeat the Chiefs 6-3 in the opening game of the Pennsylvania Region 7 Tournament at the Everett Area High School Field.
Singles to center field by Justin Fedder, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games, and Ty Bender set up the Central Penn League No. 2 seed’s first run in the third inning.
Claysburg starter Nolan Walters, who struggled with his control each trip to the mound, walked Zane Morgan and Bryce Timko before escaping more damage when Jarrit Wagner’s sharp grounder to third base was turned into a double play.
Wyatt Porter made it 2-0 in the fourth with a hard liner off Walters’ glove that plated Reese Wilson, who had received a four-pitch free pass and moved to third on a steal and Seth Bumbarger’s groundout.
With one out in the fifth, Timko flared a single behind third, Wagner walked and, following a strikeout, Will Myers drilled a single into center to load the bases. Seth Bumbarger drew Walters’ eighth walk to force in Timko, prompting a pitching change for Claysburg.
Alex Hoenstine induced a pop-up that hiked Clearfield’s number of stranded runners at nine.
“We had chances to break it open early and left too many guys on base,” Chiefs manager Sid Lansberry said.
Still, with a 3-0 advantage and ace Brandon Orsich sailing along on a three-hitter, Clearfield (14-9) seemed to be in good position to advance to the winner’s bracket semifinals.
Momentum shifted in the top of the sixth, though.
An infield single by Ryan Leonard, a walk and an error on Tyler Shaw’s grounder broke up Orsich’s shutout. Dakota Chamberlain followed with a groundout that chopped the Cambria County League playoff champion’s deficit to 3-2.
Claysburg (21-5) came right back in the seventh to go in front 4-3 on consecutive singles by Leonard, Chase Smith, Casey Winters and Shaw, all with two outs.
With Orsich’s pitch count well over 100, Lansberry called on Timko in the ninth inning, and the winners got to him for two insurance runs.
Leonard and Shaw singled and scored on a wild pitch and a steal of home, respectively.
Shaw had four of Claysburg’s 10 hits while Leonard and Shaw had two apiece.
Orsich (7-2) allowed eight hits and three earned runs, whiffing seven while walking three and hitting two.
“I think Brandon pitched well enough to win,” Lansberry said. “They had a couple hits that dropped in, but that’s a quality team.
“He might have gotten a little tired. It’s a hot day, and the sixth inning took its toll with 26 pitches. Up until then, he was breezing along fairly well.”
Clearfield, which was playing without three starters who had previous commitments, mounted only one threat against Hoenstine.
With two outs in the eighth, Porter rapped his second hit to right and Hoenstine plunked Fedder and Bender but he retired Morgan on a comebacker.
“That was our shot, and that was a hard hit ball,” Lansberry said. “If that gets through, it’s one and maybe two runs.”
Hoenstine set the Chiefs down in order in the sixth, seventh and ninth in earning the win with a one-hit, scoreless stint of 4-2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked none.
Clearfield returns to the same diamond Sunday for a 4 p.m. elimination bracket game against Indiana County League runner-up Young Township, which fell to Westmoreland County League champ Kiski Valley 16-3.
In other first-round action, Central Penn League kingpin Beech Creek nipped Westmoreland County runner-up Latrobe 3-2 and Cambria County League champ Bedford, the tourney host, knocked off Indiana County League titlist Punxsutawney 19-3.
CLAYSBURG — 6
Alex Hoenstine ss-p 5000, Ryan Leonard rf 5220, Chase Smith cf 4320, Casey Winter c 4011, Tyler Shaw 1b-lf 5142, Brennan Price lf 0000, Dakota Chamberlain 3b5001, Joel Musser lf-ss 2000, Cory Hoover dh-lf 4000, Luke Everhart 1b 1000, Larry Corle 2b 3010. TOTALS: 38 6 10 4.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Justin Fedder 2b-p 2110, Ty Bender rf 4010, Zane Morgan c 4000, Bryce Timko lf-p 3111, Alec Graham 2b 1000, Jarrit Wagner dh 2000, Brandon Orsich p-1b 1000, Reese Wilson cf 4100, Will Myers ss 4010, Seth Bumbarger 1b 3001, Alex Coval lf 0000, Wyatt Porter 3b 4021. TOTALS: 32 3 6 3.
Score by Innings
Claysburg 000 002 202 – 6 10 0
Clearfield 001 110 000 – 3 6 3
E – Timko, Bumbarger 2. DP – Claysburg 1 (Chamberlain and Winters). LOB – Claysburg 13; Clearfield 12. 2B – Shaw, Corle. SB – Shaw 2; Wilson.
Pitching
Claysburg – Nolan Walters 4-2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 6 K; Hoenstine 4-1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
Clearfield – Orsich 8 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K; Timko 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Fedder 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
HB – Hoenstine 2 (Fedder, Bender); Orsich 2 (Musser 2); Timko 1 (Musser). WP – Hoenstine 2; Timko 1.
W – Hoenstine. L – Orsich (7-2).
Umpires – John Nakich (plate) and Tony Kline (bases).