CURWENSVILLE — Clearfield broke a 2-2 with five runs in the sixth inning to defeat Curwensville 7-2 in its Jefferson County American Legion League opener game at the Curwensville Area High School diamond Wednesday evening.
Reese Wilson’s two-run double was the big hit in the decisive rally that began with Thayne Morgan drawing a walk and Karson Rumsky lashing a single to right off Hunter Hipps, the second of four Bucks’ pitchers.
Broc Heitsenrether relieved and walked Allan Myers before Harrison Peacock delivered the game-winning single with a fly ball that dropped inside the left field line.
Wilson followed with his blast to deep center.
Curwensville (0-2) turned Zane Morgan’s flyout into a double play when Peacock was chased off third base, but Nate Barr beat out an infield roller as Wilson sprinted to the plate to make it 6-2. Then, three free passes moved Barr around the bases.
Hunter Dixon was the beneficiary, earning the win with four shutout innings in relief of Cade Walker. Dixon gave up only one hit and one walk while striking out five. He also picked off two runners.
Walker, pitching for the first time since the end of the high school season, experienced control troubles, issuing five walks and allowing four hits in three-plus innings.
Noah VonGunden singled and stole second base before eventually scoring the Bucks’ runs on a single by Avery Francisco in the first and a sacrifice fly by Jake McCracken in the third that created the tie.
Francisco also had two of Curwensville‘s five singles.
The Chiefs had plenty of chances with 13 hits and eight walks but stranded 13 runners.
They tallied both runs off Bucks starter Christian Bakaysa.
Thayne Morgan doubled to deep left and scored on Myers’ sacrifice fly in the second inning, and Zane Morgan singled, stole second and continued to third on a throwing error before crossing the plate on Barr’s sacrifice fly in the third frame.
Eli Glass had a perfect night at the plate with three hits, one a double, and a walk, while Barr, Peacock and Wilson added two hits apiece.
Clearfield will play five Orange Division games the next three days in the 30-team Hillbilly Hardball Classic at Elkins, W.Va.
Thursday’s opponents will be Beckley (W.Va.) American Legion Post 32 at 2 p.m. and Circleville (Ohio) American Legion Post 134 at 6:30.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Zane Morgan eh-3b-eh-3b-eh-3b-eh 5110, Nate Barr ss-c 3122, Eli Glass lf 3030, Seth Bumbarger 1b 3000, Bryce Timko dh 3011, Thayne Morgan rf-ss 3210, Hayden Williams 2b 1000, Karson Rumsky 1110, Allan Myers c-rf 2101, Harrison Peacock 3b-eh-3b-eh-3b-eh-3b 3021, Reese Wilson cf 4122. TOTALS: 31 7 13 7.
CURWENSVILLE — 2
Noah VonGunden 2b-eh-lf 3220, Caullin Reed ss 3000, Avery Francisco c-p 3021, Jake McCracken cf-c 2011, Hunter Hipps rf-p-eh 2000, Ralph Evans eh-2b 2000, Christian Bakaysa p-rf-cf 0000, James Stiles rf 1000, Zach Brewer 1b 2000, Broc Heitsenrether 3b-lf-p-rf 2000, Jake Mullins lf 1000, Jeremiah Farley 3b 2000. TOTALS: 23 2 5 2.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 011 005 0 – 7 13 1
Curwensville 101 000 0 – 2 5 1
E – Peacock; Francisco. PB – Myers. DP – Curwensville 1 (Bakaysa, Francisco, Evans and Francisco). LOB – Clearfield 13; Curwensville 7. 2B – Glass, T. Morgan, Wilson. SF – Barr, Myers; McCracken.
SB – Z. Morgan, Barr, T. Morgan, Rumsky; VonGunden, Francisco. CS – Bakaysa (by Myers).
Pitching
Clearfield – Cade Walker 3+ IP (faced 1 batter in 4th), 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K; Hunter Dixon 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.
Curwensville – Bakaysa 3 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Hipps 2+ IP (faced 2 batters in 6th), Heitsenrether 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Francisco 1-1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K.
WP – Walker 1; Bakaysa 1. PO – Walker 1 (Heitsenrether), Dixon 1 (Evans).
W – Dixon (1-0). L – Hipps (0-1).
Umpires – Gary Kost (plate) and Jay Siegel (bases).