HYDE — What started to be a potentially easy win turned into a cliffhanger for the Clearfield Area High School baseball team at the Bison Sports Complex Tuesday as Tyrone came uncomfortably close to completely wiping out a six-run deficit in the Mountain League game played in constant drizzle or sprinkles.
Down 7-5, the Golden Eagles got the tying runs aboard with no outs in the seventh inning via a walk and Micah Womer’s single on a pop fly that fell along the right field line, but Bison middle infielders Thayne Morgan and Will Myers turned a game-ending double play for a Tommy Hazel save that preserved Eli Glass’ third win in as many decisions.
“We got that early lead, then got a little lax, let them hang around, made a couple mistakes, the bats went silent in the middle innings and before you know it, they’re back in the game,” Bison coach Sid Lansberry said. “A team like that, when you’ve got them down, you’ve gotta keep pounding and put ‘em away. And we didn’t.”
Clearfield would have fallen behind at the outset except for a web gem by shortstop Eli Glass, who roamed into short center field for a lunging grab of Hunter Jackson’s fly ball with three Tyrone runners on the move.
“Glass ran a long way, and that saved two runs right off the bat,” Lansberry said.
And the Bison immediately jumped on Brian Gunter for four runs.
Thayne Morgan, Reese Wilson and Zane Morgan produced a run with consecutive singles that matched the team’s hit total in Monday’s 5-2 loss to Huntingdon.
Then, the Bison got their running game in gear, pulling off two double steals for runs before an infield single by Will Myers scored Glass, who had walked and reached third on another stolen base and a wild pitch.
Wilson beat out a slow roller to short and circled the sacks on Zane Morgan’s double to deep right in the second inning.
Alec Graham turned a walk into a run and a 6-0 bulge in the third frame by pilfering second, advancing on a wild pitch and racing home on the back end of another double steal.
Jackson kept the Bison from padding their lead with 2-2/3 innings of scoreless relief as the Golden Eagles began their comeback with two runs off starter Jake Sorbera after he had no-hit them through three innings.
An error opened the door in the fourth, and singles by Nick Light and Micah Womer broke up the shutout. Two of Sorbera’s six free passes forced in another run before Glass relieved to get the final out.
The Golden Eagles (3-7, 1-6 ML) really made it interesting in the sixth with three runs off Glass, who fanned three and walked three in his 2-1/3-innings stint.
He was one out away from carrying the 6-2 lead into the last inning when Cory Lehman laced a two-out single to center and Brian Robison followed with a double to deep right center.
Hazel bailed out Glass with a sliding grab of Jackson’s sinking liner to left that probably would have tied the game.
“That’s a key catch,” Lansberry said.
Alex Weaver went to the mound in the bottom of the sixth, and Myers’ second infield hit, Seth Bumbarger’s sacrifice and Ty Bender’s high-hopping single through the middle made it a two-run lead for Hazel to protect, which he did thanks to the DP initiated by Thayne Morgan, who spun around to make the toss to Myers for the relay to first.
The Morgan twins, Wilson and Myers had two hits apiece as the Bison climbed one game above .500 for the third time this season at 6-5. They are 4-5 in the league.
“Any time you win in this league, it’s a good win,” Lansberry said. “(Tyrone) had an over-.300 team batting average.”
The trio of Bison hurlers held the Golden Eagles to six hits though issuing nine walks.
“We were careful with the pitch count so they’re still available for later in the week,” Lansberry noted. “Tommy and Eli can pitch Thursday and Jake can pitch Friday.”
Clearfield will be at home both days to play Bellefonte and Brookville, the latter a non-league game.
Mountain League standings – Central 8-2, Bellefonte 5-2, Philipsburg-Osceola 4-3, Huntingdon 4-3, Clearfield 4-5, Penns Valley 4-5, Bald Eagle Area 2-6, Tyrone 1-6.
TYRONE — 5
Andrew Pearson cf 3100, Brian Gunter p-rf 3110, Kevin Lehner ss 3001, Cory Lehman c 2112, Brett Robison 2b 3011, Brandon Albright rf 0000, Hunter Jackson dh-p-1b 4100, Nick Light 1b 2110, Alex Weaver p 0000, Colson Lewis ph 0000, Micah Womer 3b 4021, Matt Savino lf 3000. TOTALS: 27 5 6 4.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Thayne Morgan 2b 3120, Reese Wilson cf 4221, Zane Morgan c 4121, Tommy Hazel lf-p 3000, Eli Glass ss-p-3b 1100, Jake Sorbera p-3b 0000, Alec Graham dh 2100, Will Myers 3b-ss 2121, Seth Bumbarger 1b 2000, Ty Bender rf 3011. TOTALS: 24 7 9 4.
Score by Innings
Tyrone 000 203 0 – 5 6 2
Clearfield 411 001 x – 7 9 2
E – Robison, Womer; T. Morgan, Bumbarger. PB – Z. Morgan. DP – Clearfield 1 (T. Morgan, Myers and Bumbarger). LOB – Tyrone 11; Clearfield 5. 2B – Robison; Z. Morgan. Sac – Savino; Bumbarger. SB – Gunter; T. Morgan, Wilson, Z. Morgan 2, Glass, Graham 2. CS – Glass (by Lehman), Myers (by Lehman).
Pitching
Tyrone – Gunter 2-1/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Jackson 2-2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; Weaver 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – Sorbera 3-2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 4 K; Glass 2-1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; Hazel 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
WP – Gunter 2.
W – Glass (3-0). L – Gunter. Save – Hazel (2).
Umpires – Jerry Zollars (plate) and Mike Kresovich (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 | 7 – 5 | 6 – 5 |
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 |