CLEARFIELD — A two-run home run by Dave Richards (Class of 2003) capped a five-run rally in the sixth inning that lifted Bison Red to an 8-5 win over Bison Black in the 14th annual Clearfield Bison Alumni Baseball Game at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Saturday afternoon.
Richards’ blast over the fence in left centerfield came minutes after Scott Collins (’86) registered the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly that plated Brian Barr (’91).
Back-to-back doubles by Aaron Rowles (’96) and Bison junior Cade Walker got Bison Red close, and Brandon Billotte (’98) knotted the score with an RBI single that chased Barr to third base.
Bison Black was unable to hold 3-0 and 5-3 leads,
Chris Peacock (’91) broke up a pitching duel between Donnie Shimmel (’84) and Billotte with a homer to right field in the bottom of the third inning, and Reed Keirn, son of Andy Keirn (’82) and a 2016 Maryland high school graduate, later singled across two runs after hits by Matt Peacock (’94) and Larry Peacock (’65) around a Bison Red misplay had filled the sacks.
Bison Red got on the board in the fourth on singles by Jarrit Wagner (’18) and Jason Walker (’89) and a groundout by Rowles.
Two errors and hits by Collins and Todd Hainsey (’92) in the top of the fourth frame made it 3-3, but Bison Black answered right away with a pair of runs off Hainsey, who wound up the winning pitcher in relief of Billotte.
The Keirn father-son duo logged the RBIs after Adam Jury (’07) received a free pass.
Barr came on in the sixth to record a two-inning save.
Shimmel was tagged with the loss, blaming fatigue in his first start since his senior season plus a high pitch count due to Bison Black having no one warming up in the bullpen. He pointed out he racked up three of the game’s four strikeouts.
Chris Peacock did agree to relieve and worked a scoreless top of the seventh.
Most Valuable Player awards were presented by longtime CAHS coach Sid Lansberry (’64) to Richards for Bison Red and Jury for Bison Black. Both had a pair of hits.
Selected for Golden Glove plaques were shortstop Hainsey of Bison Red and first baseman Larry Peacock of Bison Black.
Bison Red third baseman Wagner was the Rookie of the Year.
Jury piled up 17 points, the majority resulting from three flies that cleared the fence, to win the Home Run Derby. Billotte was second with two homers and 11 points.
Bison Red 000 125 0 – 8 15 1
Bison Black 003 020 0 – 5 11 4
W – Hainsey. L – Shimmel. Sv – Barr.
Umpires – Bill Bacharach (plate) and Mark Michelucci (bases).
