FREDRICK, Md. — Excellent pitching and timely hitting added up to a pair of wins for the Clearfield American Legion baseball team in the Frederick Wood Bat Tournament Friday afternoon.
Jake Sorbera hurled a complete game in a 4-2 victory over Damascus (Md.) Post 171 and Hunter Dixon came within one out of matching that performance in a 5-1 triumph over Laurel (Md.) Post 60 A.
The doubleheader sweep at Loats Park raised the John Lewis Shade Post 6 Chief’s record to 7-5 going into Saturday’s 1 p.m. game against Cecil County (Md.).
They’ll conclude pool play Sunday morning against the host Frederick Francis Scott Key Post 11 team, with the first pitch slated for 8 o’clock.
Champs of the four pools in the 14-team tourney will return Monday for the semifinals and finals.
Clearfield is vying with Frederick (1-0) and Laurel (0-2) for the right to advance. Frederick defeated Laurel 7-3 Friday.
A two-out, two-run double by Thayne Morgan in the sixth inning was the difference for the Chiefs against Damascus. Harrison Peacock reached base on an error and Reese Wilson rapped his second single ahead of Morgan’s clutch hit.
Earlier, Clearfield twice immediately answered runs by the Patriots.
After Matt Martin put Damascus on top with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning, the Chiefs drew even when Allan Myers led off with the first of his three hits and scored on a throwing error on Peacock’s two-out infield single.
Peacock doubled home Myers to create a 2-2 tie in the fourth frame.
That offset the Patriots run driven in by Aiden Rannals with a single in the lower third. Brad Jamison followed with another hit to right field, but losing pitcher Joey Lotier was cut down at the plate on a relay from Myers to first baseman Bryce Timko to catcher Nate Barr.
After that, Sorbera allowed only one more hit and the second of his two walks.
He wrapped up a seven-hitter by retiring the last nine batters he faced and finished with six strikeouts.
Dixon was even more impressive against four-time Montgomery County League champion Laurel.
He blanked the Mangoes on three hits through six innings before tiring and losing his shutout on consecutive two-out singles to Josh Mann, Gabe Zorberhof and Ethan Sands.
After an error had Mangoes stationed at every base, Timko relieved and induced a game-ending groundout for his second save.
Clearfield had given Dixon, who struck out four and walked one, all the runs he needed in the third inning as Sorbera doubled and scored on an error before Zane Morgan tripled to drive in Barr.
The Chiefs doubled their advantage in the fifth with singles by Barr and Timko around a walk to Zane Morgan loading the bases for Myers, who came through with a two-run single.
Peacock’s second hit capped the scoring in the seventh after Zane Morgan had received a free pass and moved to second on a wild pitch.
CLEARFIELD — 4
Thayne Morgan lf 4012, Nate Barr c 4010, Zane Morgan ss 4020, Bryce Timko 1b-rf 4010, Allan Myers rf 4130, Hunter Dixon 1b 0000, Hayden Williams 2b 4100, Jake Sorbera p 3000, Harrison Peacock 3111, Reese Wilson cf 3120. TOTALS: 33 4 11 3.
DAMASCUS — 2
Ethan Wentzlaff cf 4120, Jarret Ng lf 4000, Matt Martin ss 1111, Chris Gonzalez ss 1000, Juan Bell ss 1000, Joey Lotier p 3010, Aiden Rannals 3b 2011, Jacob Thompson 3b 1000, Brad Jamison c 3010, Payton Shoe 3000, Noah Humphert 1b 3010, Mason Eberle rf 2000. TOTALS: 28 2
Score by Innings
Clearfield    010 102 0 – 4 11 1
Damascus 101 000 0 – 2   7 3
E – Z. Morgan; Martin, Gonzalez, Lotier. PB – Barr. LOB – Clearfield 7; Damascus 7. 2B – T. Morgan, Peacock; Wentzlaff. SB – Z. Morgan.
Pitching
Clearfield – Sorbera 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
Damascus – Lotier 7 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
PO – Lotier 1 (Z. Morgan).
W – Sorbera (3-0). L – Lotier.
* * * * *
CLEARFIELD — 5
T. Morgan rf 3000, Barr lf 3210, Z. Morgan ss 2211, Timko 1b-p 3010, Myers c 2012, Williams 2b 4000, Peacock 3b 4021, Dixon p-1b 0000, Sorbera dh 3110, Wilson cf 2000. TOTALS: 26 5 8 4.
LAUREL — 1
Mikaili Robertson 2b 2000, Gabe Zorberhof 2b 2010, Ethan Sands c 4011, Lake Lloyd 3b 4000, Kevin Silverstein 1b 4000, Jack Adamson ss 2010, Jalen Bowen cf 3000, Tom Fitzpatrick rf 2000, Lucas Balda rf 1000, Marcus Khademi p 0000, Stephen Frazier p 0000, Ian Sterling dh 3010, Cole Gerardi lf 1000, Josh Mann lf 2120. TOTALS: 30 1 6 0.
Runs by Innings
Clearfield  002 020 1 – 5 8 3
Laurel        000 000 1 – 1 6 3
E – Z. Morgan, Peacock 2; Robertson, Lloyd, Adamson. LOB – Clearfield 10; Laurel 9. DP – Laurel 2 (Robertson and Silverstein; Frazier, Adamson and Silverstein). 2B – Sorbera. 3B – Z. Morgan. Sac – Wilson. SB – Sterling.
Pitching
Clearfield – Dixon 6-2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; Timko 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Laurel – Khademi 4-1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K; Frazier 2-2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1Â K.
WP – Frazier 1.
W – Dixon (2-0). L – Khademi. S – Timko (2).
