WINGATE — Three Clearfield Area High School hurlers held Bald Eagle Area to three hits, Nate Barr singled three times and drove in three runs, and the Bison pulled away in the late innings for a 10-1 victory in a chilly season opener at Doc Etters Field Monday afternoon.
Eli Glass pitched into the fifth inning to notch the Mountain League win, allowing just two hits while striking out seven and walking seven.
He struck out the side in the second and fourth frames, buckling down to set down the bottom of the BEA order in his last full inning after an error and two free passes had loaded the bases.
Cade Walker relieved with two outs and the sacks full of Eagles again in the fifth inning and walked Tommy Snyder to force in the run charged to Glass before keeping the Bison in front 4-1 with one of his two strikeouts. He gave up three walks.
Hunter Dixon closed it out with a scoreless inning, giving up an infield hit but coming right back with a game-ending strikeout that stranded two Eagles, which raised their total runners left on base to 13.
“I was glad to see all three pitchers; that was a plus,” Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry said. “Overall, they pitched pretty well for the first night and as cold as it was.”
Hits were at a premium, too, for the Bison as Barr’s three liners were all they could muster off Maynard, Trevor Hilgar and Dylan Bisel through the first six innings.
One was a two-run single to right center that keyed a four-run rally off Eagle starter Nick Maynard in the third inning.
Hayden Williams, who was in the middle of all three scoring flurries, walked, Nick Domico reached when his sacrifice bunt was misplayed and Caullin Reed drew the first of his three walks to give Barr the opportunity for what proved to be the game-winning hit.
Harrison Peacock plated Reed with a grounder and Barr scored on an error.
After the Bison had runners at every base once more in the sixth, RBIs were registered by Reed via a walk, Barr on a fielder’s choice and Glass with a groundout for a 7-1 cushion.
“Nate had a great game,” Lansberry said. “He was on base every time.”
Clearfield doubled its hit total for three runs in the seventh inning.
Peacock led off with a line single to right and scored on a hard single through the middle by Williams. Reed beat out a swinging bunt that chased home Allan Myers, who had walked, and Williams also came around when the ball was thrown away at first base.
The Bison worked three of the four Eagle pitchers for 10 walks and took them deep into counts on several other occasions.
“We had a lot of quality at-bats, not jumping on the first pitch all the time, which is one thing we’ve been working on,” Lansberry said. “And it paid off.
“We didn’t have as many hits as I wanted, but we generated some offense and played decent defense.
“Overall, I was pretty pleased. You can’t ask for much more for the first game, especially with the weather conditions.”
Clearfield goes back on the road Thursday for a league game at Huntingdon.
CLEARFIELD — 10
Caullin Reed ss 2112, Nate Barr cf 4133, Eli Glass p-lf-1b 2001, Cade Walker p-lf-p 5000, Harrison Peacock 3b 4111, Allan Myers c 2200, Karson Rumsky 1b 0000, Hunter Dixon p 0000, Hunter Hipps dh 3100, Hayden Williams 2b 2311, Nick Domico rf 3100. TOTALS: 27 10 6 8.
BALD EAGLE AREA — 1
Jaden Jones ss 2000, Kael Gardner 3b 3100, Matt Reese cf 3010, Hunter Brooks 1b 3000, Garret Greene ph 1000, Nick Maynard p 0000, Trevor Hilgar p-rf 0000, Miles Stover 2b 1000, Caleb Burns dh 3010, Dylan Bisel rf-p-rf 0001, Noah Williamson ph 1000, Tommy Snyder lf 4010, Kyler Cunningham c 4000, Shane Seeger 2b-p 1000. TOTALS: 26 1 3 1.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 004 003 3 – 10 6 2
Bald Eagle Area 000 010 0 – 1 3 5
E – Reed, Peacock; Gardner, Maynard, Hilgar, Cunningham 2. DP – Clearfield (Barr and Williams; Bald Eagle Area 1 (Snyder and Gardner). LOB – Clearfield 9; Bald Eagle Area 13. 2B – Reese. Sac – Hipps, Domico. SB – Reed, Barr 2.
Pitching
Clearfield – Glass 4-2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 7 K; Walker 1-1/2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Dixon 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Bald Eagle Area – Maynard 5 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K; Hilgar 0+ IP (faced 3 batters in 6th), 0 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Bisel 1-2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Stover 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
HB – Bisel 1 (Barr). WP – Bisel 2.
W – Glass (1-0). L – Maynard.
Umpires – Jim Klausman (plate) and Larry Stitt (bases).
Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/25 @ Bald Eagle Area 10 – 1 1 – 0
3/28 @ Huntingdon
4/02 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA
4/04 CURWENSVILLE
4/05 @ Tyrone
4/08 PENNS VALLEY
4/09 BROOKVILLE
4/11 @ Central
4/16 BELLEFONTE
4/18 BALD EAGLE AREA
4/23 HUNTINGDON
4/25 @ Philipsburg-Osceola
4/29 PUNXSUTAWNEY
4/30 TYRONE
5/03 @ Penns Valley
5/06 CENTRAL
5/08 @ Bradford
5/09 @ Bellefonte
5/13 @ Curwensville
5/16 @ DuBois