BASEBALL
DUBOIS — Junior right-hander Brandon Orsich (Clearfield) was named Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference West Division Pitcher of the Year last week and was the winning pitcher in a 12-6 win over Penn State Brandywine at Showers Field Sunday that got Penn State DuBois rolling to a second consecutive conference championship.
Sophomore Zane Morgan (Clearfield) joined Orsich on the All-PSUAC West First Team as the coaches’ selection for utility player. He’s started games at first base, third base, left field, right field, behind the plate and as the Lions’ designated hitter.
Sophomore outfielder Thayne Morgan (Clearfield) was one of four West Division players awarded honorable mention.
Orsich pitched 3-1/3 innings in his 11th start, surviving one of his tougher outings for his eighth win that is tops in the PSUAC and tied for second in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association stats.
He gave up six hits and three earned runs while striking out two batters, walking one and hitting three.
Freshman Jake Sorbera (Clearfield) closed it out in his 12th relief appearance after Penn State Brandywine loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh inning. He allowed a walk and two hits before halting the rally.
Zane Morgan scored for the Lions in a pinch-running role.
Penn State DuBois, the four time West Division kingpin, defeated East champion Penn State Wilkes-Barre 15-5 in the winner’s bracket final later in the day.
Thayne Morgan scored twice as a courtesy runner, singled and scored later and also had an RBI groundout that plated freshman first baseman Seth Bumbarger (Clearfield) after he had tripled in as a pinch-hitter.
Those two contributed again Monday when the Lions clawed Penn State Wilkes-Barre 15-2 in the championship game, Morgan with a single and three runs scored and Bumbarger with a pinch-hit double.
The PSUAC title earned Penn State DuBois (27-12) a No. 3 seed for its title defense in the 10-team USCAA World Series that starts Monday at Showers Field. The Lions are paired against No. 6 Southern Maine Community College at 6:30 p.m. in the fifth of six games on the first day of the four-day, double-elimination tourney.
The top two seeds are The Apprentice School (Va.) and the University of Cincinnati Clermont College.
Penn State DuBois mentor Tom Calliari was named PSUAC West Coach of the Year for the second season in a row, while three other Lions were selected to the All-PSUAC West First Team, Newcomer of the Year Isaac Stouffer (Punxsutawney) and Brandon Gettig (Bald Eagle Area) as infielders and Toner Corl (Central Mountain) as a pitcher.
Orsich and Sorbera will take earned run averages of 3.65 and 3.15, respectively, into the national tournament.
Orsich has worked 44-1/3 innings with 20 strikeouts, 10 walks and seven hit batsmen, while Sorbera has pitched 20 innings with nine strikeouts and nine walks.
Thayne Morgan continues to rank as one of the top hitters in the USCAA at .434 though he’s not on the list of leaders because he does not have enough plate appearances. He’s 33-for-76 with 12 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He’s tied for third in the PSUAC and fifth in the USCAA in stolen bases with 22.
Zane Morgan has a .368 average on 25 hits, including five doubles, one triple and one home run. He has driven in 16 runs and scored 16.
Bumbarger boosted his average to .238 with his pair of extra base hits.
* * * * * *
BETHLEHEM — Freshman left-hander Bryce Timko (Curwensville) pitched one hitless, scoreless inning in Lackawanna’s 15-7 non-league victory over host Northampton Community College Thursday.
He had one strikeout and three walks as the Falcons stretched their winning streak to 11 games.
That ended with a 9-8 loss at Cumberland (N.J.) County Saturday, but the Falcon then won 10-3 to finish the regular season at 27-14.
Timko, who missed more than a month because of an injury, wound up with 7.1 innings in five appearances, including one start. He had no decisions, struck our four, walked six and allowed eight hits and six earned runs.
Lackawanna earned the No. 3 seed for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Region XIX Tournament and will test No. 2 Mercer County (31-13) Friday morning in the double-elimination Final Four opener at West Windsor, N.J.
* * * * * *
HUNTINGDON — Senior pitcher/first baseman Jon Janocko (Clearfield) was hitless in two trips to the plate for Juniata last week.
The Eagles swept Penn College, 6-0 and 6-5, in non-conference action at Williamsport before splitting a Landmark Conference twinbill with Susquehanna at Selinsgrove Saturday, winning their finale 8-2 after losing 3-2.
Juniata finished 1-16 in the conference and 13-26 overall.
* * * * * * * * * * *
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Senior Sarah Lash (Clearfield) got off her best javelin throw of the season to claim sixth place at the 2019 Northeast Conference Outdoor Championships hosted by Central Connecticut State Saturday and Sunday.
Lash’s best throw was her opener that traveled 37.20 meters (122 feet) in an event that had 20 entries from six of the 10 teams in the meet.
She helped the Red Flash finish a close third in the tight team race with 116 points.
Central Connecticut State won its first NEC title with 118 points, edging out four-time defending champion Sacred Heart by just a half-point behind.
* * * * * * * * * * *
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD
SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock sophomore Ethan McGinnis (Clearfield) triple jumped 12.60 meters (41 feet, 2¼ inches) to finish fourth in the SRU Last Chance Meet in Mihalik-Thompson Stadium Friday.
He previously qualified in that event for this week’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships at Mansfield University.
