PUNXSUTAWNEY — In Jefferson/Clearfield Counties American Legion action Friday evening, the Clearfield Chiefs dropped a close, 2-1 decision to host Brookville Friday night at Kuntz Field in Punxsutawney. All the runs scored off of Clearfield’s Jake Sorbera and Brookville’s Ben Reitz were unearned, in another playoff pitchers’ duel.
Clearfield drew first blood in the third inning when Ty Bender reached safely on a two-out error. Seth Bumbarger stepped up and blasted a double off the centerfield wall to chase home courtesy runner Zane Morgan and give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead.
Sorbera held the lead until the fifth inning, when Brookville was able to turn two Chief errors and two base hits into the game winning runs. Lance Pennington relieved Reitz in the seventh and retired Clearfield in order to seal the victory.
With the loss, Clearfield hosts DuBois, who eliminated Curwensville, Saturday at 11 AM at Lawrence Twp. Rec Park in the loser’s bracket final. Clearfield defeated DuBois 1-0 in the semifinals on Wednesday.
CLEARFIELD — 1
Will Myers ss 3010, Ty Bender c 3110, Seth Bumbarger 1b 3011, Allan Myers lf 3000, Alec Graham lf 0000, Eli Glass 3b 1010, Zane Morgan pr 0000, Bryce Timko rf 3000, Jake Sorbera p 3000, Brandon Orsich eh 3000, Harrison Peacock 2b 3000, Nate Barr cf 3000. TOTALS: 28 1 5 1.
BROOKVILLE — 2
Tyler Park lf 3020, Lucas Burkett ss 3001, Lance Pennington cf-p 1010, Joey Dipietro c 3011, Aaron Park eh 3000, Logan Johnston 3b 1000, Ben Reitz p 2000, Ben Caun cf 1000, Brady Caylor 2b 3000, Tanner LaBenne 1b 3110, Caleb Smith rf 0100. TOTALS: 23 2 5 2.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 001 000 0 – 1 5 3
Brookville 000 020 x – 2 5 2
E – Peacock 2, Sorbera; Burkett 2. DP – Clearfield 2 (Myers and Bumbarger, Glass and Bumbarger). LOB – Clearfield 8; Brookville 10. 2B – Bumbarger. Sac – Smith. SB – Morgan 2.
Pitching
Clearfield – Sorbera 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K;
Brookville – Reitz 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K; Pennington 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
WP – Sorbera; Reitz
HB- Sorbera (Johnston)
W – Reitz. L – Sorbera.
Umpires – Joe Shick (plate), Mark Zimmerman (bases)