HYDE — Unable to muster more than four hits in any of four previous games, the Clearfield Area High School baseball team cracked five in a six-run second inning against Curwensville at the Bison Sports Complex Tuesday afternoon.
Then, hurler Will Myers got into a groove after Avery Francisco and Zach McClure began the third frame by ripping the last of the Golden Tide’s seven hits off him, Seth Bumbarger belted a three-run home run in the fifth and the Bison rolled to a 10-2 victory.
The Bison (2-3) had eight hits in all — Zane Morgan and Tommy Hazel had two apiece — in ending a three-game slide.
“We’ve been facing some pretty good pitching, and it’s good to get back on track,” Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry said.
The Golden Tide (1-4) had their hitting shoes on early, too.
After failing to cash Noah Von Gunden’s leadoff double in the first inning, the visitors sprayed four well-hit singles around the outfield to grab a 2-1 lead in the top of the second.
Two-out line drives by Christian Bakaysa and Von Gunden drove in Bryce Timko and Devan Barrett, catcher Austin Butlin’s courtesy runner.
“Last year, Myers two-hit us and shut us out, but we’ve come a long way since then,” Curwensville coach Tom Harzinski said. “We hit the ball real well.”
Lansberry concurred, “They hit some hard shots the first couple of innings. They’ve improved over last year.”
The Bison immediately countered with their big outburst against Bakaysa, all of the runs coming with two outs and all unearned because of an error on Ty Bender’s grounder.
Reese Wilson came through with the key hit, hammering a two-run double to the right center gap that put the Bison in front 3-2. Thayne and Zane Morgan, Hazel and Myers followed with run-scoring singles.
“That was a great bottom of the second,” Lansberry said. “Will had given up five hits and we’re down and it looks like we’re gonna have trouble. Then we put up those runs, and it helps you relax a little.”
Myers certainly did.
The senior right-hander got a groundout, strikeout and pop-up after Francisco and McClure began the third frame with the last Golden Tide hits, and he proceeded to run his strikeout total to eight before departing in the seventh when his pitch count topped 100, with Wilson notching the final three outs.
Three Golden Tide batters reached base, all on misplays, over the last four innings.
“Credit Myers,” Harzinski said. “He got on his game and stymied us.”
Lansberry added, “Will had a little bit of a rough start, but he got better as the game went on.”
In the bottom of the fourth, Bumbarger made the game’s last hit a big one with his first career homer into the netting behind the left field fence off Golden Tide reliever Brock Heitsenrether with Hazel and courtesy runner Alex Coval aboard.
“It was a good shot,” Lansberry said. “Bumbarger worked hard this winter and he’s stronger this year. I’m glad to see him do well. He doesn’t have a lot of hits, but he’s been on base quite a few times.”
Harzinski saw several good signs in the Golden Tide’s effort.
“We’re seeing steady improvement,” he said. “We cut down on our mistakes, and the hitting is coming along.”
And he wasn’t disappointed in the pitching, giving Bakaysa his first varsity start and asking Heitsenrether to eat up some innings in his varsity debut with a Northern Allegany League Small School South Division game on the horizon.
“Our young pitchers did what we wanted them to do, throw strikes,” Harzinski said. “Then, at the tail end of the game, we got an inning out of Noah and Avery, and they did a nice job.
“It’s not like we gave Clearfield the game. They played a good game.”
Both teams will play again Thursday, Clearfield at home against Penns Valley and Curwensville at Johnsonburg.
CURWENSVILLE — 2
Noah Von Gunden ss-p-ss 4021, Josh Terry cf 3000, Jeremy Irwin ph 1000, Avery Francisco 2b-ss-p 3010, Zach McClure 1b 4010, Bryce Timko lf 3110, Devan Barrett lf 0000, Austin Butlin c 3110, Blake Passarelli rf 0000, Brock Heitsenrether p 0000, Ralph Evans dh-2b 3000, Jeremiah Farley 3b 2000, Matt Carter ph 1000, Christian Bakaysa p-rf 3011. TOTALS: 30 2 7 2.
CLEARFIELD — 10
Thayne Morgan ss-2b 4111, Zane Morgan c 4221, Tommy Hazel lf-cf 3221, Will Myers p-ss 2111, Alex Coval cr 0000, Seth Bumbarger 1b 3113, Ty Bender rf 3100, Wyatt Porter 2b 0000, Jake Sorbera dh-lf 1100, Jarrit Wagner dh 1000, Eli Glass 3b 3000, Reese Wilson cf-p 2113, Alec Graham lf 0000. TOTALS: 26 10 8 9.
Score by Innings
Curwensville 020 000 0 – 2 7 2
Clearfield 160 030 x – 10 8 3
E – Von Gunden, Timko; T. Morgan 2, Glass. LOB – Curwensville 8; Clearfield 4. 2B – Wilson. HR – Bumbarger (1). SF – Hazel. SB – T. Morgan, Graham, Coval 2, Bender, Wilson. CS – Francisco (by Z. Morgan).
Pitching
Curwensville – Bakaysa 1-2/3 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Heitsenrether 2-1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K; Von Gunden 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Francisco 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Myers 6+ IP (faced 1 batter in 7th), 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K; Wilson 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
HB – Heitsenrether 1 (Myers). WP – Bakaysa 1, Heitsenrether 1.
W – Myers (1-1). L – Bakaysa (0-1).
Umpires – Sam Bevak (plate) and Dave Neal (bases).