HYDE — Allan Myers scored on an errant pickoff throw in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Clearfield American Legion baseball team a 2-1 walk-off win over DuBois in their Jefferson County League opener at the Bison Sports Complex Thursday evening.
The unearned run made Brandon Orsich the winner in a duel of four-hitters with Noah Schneider.
Orsich fanned six in his 93-pitch complete game.
He didn’t allow a walk, going to three-ball counts on only three batters.
The DuBois run was unearned, Schneider crossing the plate on a two-out misplay in the third inning. He had singled and advanced to third base on a wild pitch and a delayed steal.
The Chiefs got the equalizer in their half of the inning.
Alec Graham, the courtesy runner for Orsich after he walked, moved around the bases on Justin Fedder’s sacrifice bunt, Reese Wilson’s single into left field and Bryce Timko’s sacrifice fly on which DuBois center fielder Mitch Ferra made an outstanding diving catch.
Ferra robbed Timko a second time with another diving grab in short center in the sixth, one inning after he prevented the Chiefs from taking the lead by picking up Fedder’s single up the middle and throwing out Jake Sorbera at the plate.
Orsich was able to keep DuBois off the board with runners in scoring position the last four innings, including the seventh when second baseman Nate Barr turned Schneider’s line drive with two on and one out into a double play.
Setting the stage for Clearfield to emerge victorious in its return to the JCL after five seasons in the Central Penn League was Seth Bumbarger bouncing a single through the left side that pushed Myers, who had received a free pass with one out, to second.
When DuBois catcher Braden Paulinelli tried to catch Bumbarger with too big a lead, his throw was off to the foul side of first base and rolled down the right field line, and Myers never hesitated rounding third base and slid past a tag attempt on the return throw for the winning run.
Schneider had three strikeouts and four walks in the tough loss.
He also was the lone player with two hits, one a double.
With Sunday’s game against Curwensville postponed because of the Clearfield Area High School team’s PIAA Class AAAA Tournament opener Monday, the Chiefs will be off until Tuesday when they travel to Brookville.
DUBOIS — 1
Braden Paulinelli c 3010, Mitch Ferra cf 3000, Nick LaBrasca 1b 3000, Drew Bankovich lf 3000, Ryan Pasternak eh 3010, Daron Walker 3b 3000, Jordan Frano rf 3000, Noah Schneider p 3120, Colin Read ss 2000, Brandon Foley 2b 2000. TOTALS: 28 1 4 0.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Reese Wilson cf 3010, Bryce Timko rf 2001, Eli Glass ss 3000, Ty Bender c 3000, Allan Myers eh 2110, Seth Bumbarger 1b 2010, Jake Sorbera lf 1000, Alec Graham lf 0000, Harrison Peacock 3b 1000, Brandon Orsich p 1100, Justin Fedder 2b 1010, Nate Barr 2b 0000. TOTALS: 19 2 4 1.
Score by Innings
DuBois 001 000 0 – 1 4 1
Clearfield 001 000 1 – 2 4 4
E – Paulinelli; Glass 2, Peacock , Fedder. DP – Clearfield 1 (Barr and Glass). LOB – DuBois 6; Clearfield 5. 2B – Schneider. Sac – Peacock, Fedder. SF – Timko. SB – Paulinelli, Bankovich, Schneider.
Pitching
DuBois – Schneider 6-1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.
Clearfield – Orsich 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.
WP – Orsich 2.
W – Orsich (1-0). L – Schneider.
Umpires – Jamie Johnson (plate) and Frank Keenan (bases).