MARTINSBURG — Eli Glass cracked three hits, one a double, and drove in four runs as the Clearfield Area High School dealt Central’s Mountain League title chances a blow with a 10-4-win Thursday afternoon.
The Bison jumped out to a 7-0 lead in their first two at-bats, and Cade Walker and Hunter Dixon shut out the Altoona Curve Classic champions after the second inning.
The victory was the third in a row for the Bison and got them back to .500 in the league at 3-3. They are 5-3 overall.
The Bison’s first three batters were responsible for seven of their 11 hits and six runs batted in while scoring seven runs.
Hitting in front of Glass were Caullin Reed with two hits, two RBIs and two runs and Nate Barr with two hits and three runs.
Aided by an error on Reed’s grounder and two walks, the Bison grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first inning with Barr, Glass and Allan Myers hitting singles.
They struck for three more off Dylan Focht in the second when Glass doubled home Reed and Barr and then scored on a single by Hayden Williams.
Central (7-3, 3-3 ML) responded with a four-run salvo off Walker. Thad Albright, Hunter Klotz and Devon Boyles had RBI singles.
Walker breezed through the next three frames before reaching the 100-pitch limit when he hit Jordan Bowman leading off the sixth.
Dixon relieved and picked off pinch-runner Jason Ferry for the second out and finished with two scoreless innings, allowing two singles in the seventh.
The Bison pulled away against reliever Jacob Eberlin on Glass’ RBI two-bagger in the fourth and Reed’s two-run single in the seventh.
Myers led off the last inning with his second hit.
Walker struck out seven in his second win in three decisions. He gave up six hits, two walks and one earned run.
Clearfield will wrap up the ML’s first cycle with a home game against Bellefonte Tuesday.
Mountain League standings — Tyrone 6-0, Philipsburg-Osceola 5-1, Clearfield 3-3, Bellefonte 3-3, Central 3-3, Huntingdon 2-4, Bald Eagle Area 1-5, Penns Valley 1-5.
CLEARFIELD — 10
Caullin Reed ss 4222, Nate Barr cf 4320, Eli Glass 1b 3234, Hayden Williams 3111, Cade Walker p-lf 3001, Allan Myers c 4121, Harrison Peacock 3b 3111, Karson Rumsky lf 0000, Hunter Dixon p 0000, Hunter Hipps dh 3000, Kyle Elensky ph 0000, Nick Domico rf 4000. TOTALS: 31 10 11 10.
CENTRAL — 4
Paxton Kling ss-p 4100, Hunter Klotz c 4121, Devon Boyles 1b-3b 3021, Casey Walters cf 3000, Tyler Helsel ph 1010, Dylan Focht p-1b 4010, Noah Muthler 2b 3110, Jacob Eberlin 3b-p 2000, Jordan Bowman dh 2000, Jason Ferry pr 0000, Leyton Kling rf 2000, Thad Albright lf 3111. TOTALS: 29 4 8 3.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 430 100 2 – 10 11 2
Central 040 000 0 – 4 8 3
E – Walker, Rumsky; P. Kling. DP — Central 1 (Muthler, P. Kling, Boyles and Klotz). LOB – Clearfield 7; Central 8. 2B – Reed, Barr, Glass, Williams. Sac – Elensky. SB – Reed; Albright.
Pitching
Clearfield – Walker 5+ IP (faced 1 batter in 6th), 7 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K; Dixon 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Central – Focht 2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Eberlin 4-2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K; Kling 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
HB – Walker 1 (Bowman); Eberlin 1 (Barr). WP – Walker 1.
W – Walker (2-1). L – Focht.
Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/25 @ Bald Eagle Area 10 – 1 1 – 0
3/28 @ Huntingdon 6 – 8 1 – 1
4/02 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 1 – 2 1 – 2
4/04 CURWENSVILLE 5 – 2 2 – 2
4/05 @ Tyrone ppd. 2 – 2
4/06 @ Tyrone 2 – 3, 9 inn. 2 – 3
4/08 PENNS VALLEY 6 – 2 3 – 3
4/09 BROOKVILLE 22 – 12 4 – 3
4/11 @ Central 10 – 4 5 – 3
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