SPRING MILLS — Karson Rumsky scored from second base on a single by Hayden Williams in the top of the seventh inning, and Hunter Dixon averted possible trouble in the lower half with a pickoff before wrapping up his complete-game effort as Clearfield squeezed past host Penns Valley 4-3 in Mountain League baseball action Friday.
Rumsky was running for Eli Glass, who had hammered a double to the fence in center field, and easily beat the throw to the plate on Williams’ hard grounder through the right side.
Dixon, who had to pitch from the stretch in every inning while scattering 10 hits, caught pinch-runner Malachi Thompson leaning toward second after Cameron Shaffer led off the bottom of the last inning with a single.
“That’s key right there,” Bison coach Sid Lansberry said. “First guy on. Chances are good he’s gonna score.”
The sophomore left-hander then retired the next two Rams on a liner and fly ball that center fielder Nate Barr hauled in.
Dixon recorded his first win in three decisions without a strikeout or a walk. He did hit two batters.
“He’s been a hard-luck pitcher all year and, finally he got a couple breaks,” Lansberry said. “He’s consistently around the plate. He doesn’t get many strikeouts, but that’s okay. People are up there swinging on the first pitch, and that’s a good thing. So, I feel good for him to finally get a win.”
The Bison jumped on Mason Lieb for four hits and two runs in the first inning.
Singles by Caullin Reed and Barr had runners on the corners for Glass, who lofted a sacrifice fly to center for the first run.. Barr’s grounder into right field extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
After Williams hit into a force-out, he came around to score on solid singles by Allan Myers and Harrison Peacock.
Penns Valley (8-8, 5-7 ML) countered with singletons in the third and fourth innings when they collected half of their hits.
A double play turned by Bison middle infielders Reed and Kyle Elensky prevented the Rams from taking the lead in the fourth.
Clearfield (8-7, 6-6 ML) regained the upper hand in the fifth with Myers drilling a double off the left field fence to chase home Williams, aboard via a forceout for the second time.
And the Rams drew even again in the sixth inning on a double by Logan Snyder, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by Colby Sweitzer, setting the stage for the dramatic final frame.
Glass and Myers each had two of the Bison’s nine hits off Lieb and Dylan Treaster, the loser in relief.
“We had some clutch hits, but we’re still leaving too many guys on base,” Lansberry said. “And we took ourselves out of a couple innings with some mistakes.
Shaffer and Jesse Darlington had two hits apiece for the Rams.
“That’s a pretty solid team,” Lansberry said. “They’ve got some good hitters. It seemed like they had the first guy on in every inning.
“Dixon had to pitch out of some tough situations. It’s tough for a pitcher who’s not striking out anybody. He’s gotta be précise with his control.”
Which Dixon was when he had to bear down, time after time. .
Clearfield will be back at home Monday to play Central at 4:30 p.m.
CLEARFIELD — 4
Caullin Reed ss 4110, Nate Barr cf 4010, Eli Glass 1b 2021, Karson Rumsky pr 0100, Hayden Williams 3b 4211, Allan Myers c 4021, Harrison Peacock rf 4011, Cade Walker lf 2000, Hunter Dixon p 0000, Nick Domico dh 3010, Kyle Elensky 2b 0000, TOTALS: 27 4 9 4.
 PENNS VALLEY — 3
Greyson Wolfe rf 0000, Colby Sweitzer dh 3011, Cameron Shaffer cf 4021, Malachi Thompson pr 0000, Dylan Treaster 1b-p 3010, Calvin Russell 2b 4010, Mason Lieb p-1b 3110, Logan Snyder c 2110, Aidan Brinker ss 2000, Jesse Darlington 3b 2121. TOTALS: 27 3 10 3.
Score by Innings
Clearfield      200 010 1 – 4  9 1
Penns Valley 001 101 0 – 3Â 10Â 1
E – Myers; Snyder. DP – Clearfield 1 (Reed, Elensky and Glass). LOB – Clearfield 8; Penns Valley 8. 2B – Glass, Myers; Sweitzer, Russell, Snyder. Sac – Elensky; Brinker, Darlington. SF – Glass; Sweitzer. SB – Breon, Thompson.
Pitching
Clearfield — Dixon 7 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Penns Valley — Lieb 3-1/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; Treaster 3-2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
HB — Dixon 2 (Breon, Snyder. PO – Dixon 1 (Thompson).
W — Dixon (1-2). L – Treaster.
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 ppd. 5 – 3
4/17 @ Bellefonte 0 – 8 5 – 4
4/18 BALD EAGLE AREA 4 – 2 6 – 4
4/23 HUNTINGDON 6 – 4 7 – 4
4/25 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 3 – 4 7 – 5
4/29 PUNXSUTAWNEY 5 – 6 7 – 6
4/30 TYRONE 3 – 13 7 – 7
5/03 @ Penns Valley 4 – 3 8 – 7
5/06 CENTRAL
5/08 @ Bradford
5/09 BELLEFONTE
5/13 @ Curwensville
5/16 @ DuBois
