HYDE — Huntingdon right-hander Ben Briggs short-circuited the Clearfield Area High School baseball team’s hopes of getting this week’s four-game home stand off to a good start by pitching an impressive three-hitter for a 5-2 win at the Bison Sports Complex Monday.
“Very disappointing with the way we’ve been playing with a lot of life and spirit, and we didn’t have it tonight,” coach Sid Lansberry said after the Bison fell to 5-5, including 3-5 in the Mountain League.”
Briggs was the difference.
“We didn’t hit the ball hard, not hard enough to get the ball through the infield anyway,” Lansberry said.
The Bison sent only three balls to the outfield, line-drive singles by Tommy Hazel and Will Myers in the first two innings and a flyout by Thayne Morgan in the third, which was the first of Briggs’ four 1-2-3 frames.
“Briggs pitched a good game,” Lansberry said. “He mixed his pitches well. He threw strikes. And he was ahead of all the hitters.”
The Bearcat junior had such command that he did not have a three-ball count on any Bison until walking Morgan leading off the bottom of the sixth inning.
Zane Morgan’s infield single and free passes to Hazel and Eli Glass on nine pitches got Clearfield on the board and had Briggs reeling a little, but he induced a double play grounder that scored the second Bison run and then notched the fifth of his six strikeouts.
Huntingdon (5-4, 4-2 ML) already had all the runs needed to jump right into the middle of the league chase by then.
Myers no-hit the Bearcats through three innings though walking four, three in a row in the second frame, which he ended scoreless with a pickoff at first base after batterymate Zane Morgan had thrown out a runner on a steal attempt.
“Will was a little bit wild, and that hurt him,” Lansberry said. “I thought he had good stuff. His fastball had good velocity. Just off the plate a little bit. And he got behind hitters.
“When he’s on, throwing strikes like he did against Central, he’s pretty good. Tonight, (he was) just missing. When you’re behind 2-0 and 3-1, you’re gonna give up some hits. And they came up with clutch hits.”
Two, both with two outs, put the Bearcats ahead 3-0 in the fourth inning.
Landon Fisher ripped a single inside third base to drive in Jared Showalter, who had received a one-out walk and advanced to second on Drew Weglarz’ flare to short right center. Alex Mykut followed with the big blow, a single to deep center.
In the fifth, Nick Holesa turned another Myers walk into a run with a ringing double to right center, and he scored on the lone Bison misplay.
Hazel relieved and pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits.
Clearfield will try to rebound Tuesday when Tyrone visits the Bison Sports Complex for a 4:30 start.
Mountain League standings – Central 7-2, Bellefonte 5-2, Huntingdon 4-2, Philipsburg-Osceola 4-3, Penns Valley 4-5, Clearfield 3-5, Bald Eagle Area 2-6, Tyrone 1-5.
HUNTINGDON — 5
Nick Zanic cf 3110, Nick Holesa ss 4111, Mike Huntsman 2b 0000, Jared Showalter dh 3110, Drew Weglarz lf 3110, Seth Baney rf 2000, Jacob Wagner rf 0000, Landon Fisher 1b 2110, Casey Conner 1b 0000, Alex Mykut c 2012, Ben Briggs p 2000, Jarius Werner cr 0000, Jack Ritchey 3b 2000, Andrew Hudy ph 1000. TOTALS: 24 5 6 4.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Thayne Morgan 2b 2100, Zane Morgan c 3110, Tommy Hazel lf-p 2010, Eli Glass ss 2001, Seth Bumbarger 1b 3000, Ty Bender rf 3000, Will Myers p-3b 3010, Jake Sorbera 3b-lf 2000, Jarrit Wagner ph 1000, Reese Wilson cf 3000. TOTALS: 24 2 3 1.
Score by Innings
Huntingdon 000 320 0 – 5 6 1
Clearfield 000 002 0 – 2 3 1
E – Holesa; Sorbera. DP – Huntingdon 1 (Holesa, Huntsman and Fisher). LOB – Huntingdon 4; Clearfield 4. 2B – Holesa. SB – Zanic; Hazel. CS – Baney (by Z. Morgan); Werner (by Z. Morgan).
Pitching
Huntingdon – Briggs 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K.
Clearfield – Myers 4-2/3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 2 K; Hazel 2-1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
W – Briggs. L – Myers (1-2). PO – Myers 1 (Werner).
Umpires – Joe Shick (plate) and Kenny Knepp (bases).
Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/27 | CENTRAL | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 3/28 | @ Central | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 3/29 | CENTRAL | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 3/30 | @ Huntingdon | 7 – 5 | 1 – 0 |
| 4/01 | @ Central | ppd. | 1 – 0 |
| 4/04 | @ Bellefonte | ppd. | 1 – 0 |
| 4/05 | @ Bellefonte | 0 – 10 | 1 – 1 |
| 4/06 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | ppd. | 1 – 1 |
| 4/07 | TYRONE | ppd. | 1 – 1 |
| 4/08 | @ Central | 2 – 8 | 1 – 2 |
| 4/10 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 1 – 2 | 1 – 3 |
| 4/11 | CURWENSVILLE | 10 – 2 | 2 – 3 |
| 4/13 | PENNS VALLEY | 6 – 3 | 3 – 3 |
| 4/17 | CENTRAL | 3 – 2, 8 inn. | 4 – 3 |
| 4/18 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 6 – 9 | 4 – 4 |
| 4/20 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | 3 – 2 | 5 – 4 |
| 4/24 | HUNTINGDON | 2 – 5 | 5 – 5 |
| 4/25 | TYRONE | ||
| 4/27 | BELLEFONTE | ||
| 4/28 | BROOKVILLE | ||
| 5/01 | @ Bradford | ||
| 5/02 | @ Tyrone | ||
| 5/05 | @ Bald Eagle Area | ||
| 5/08 | @ Penns Valley | ||
| 5/09 | @ Curwensville | ||
| 5/11 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | ||
| 5/15 | @ DuBois |