HYDE — Cade Walker drilled a two-run double to deep center field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team a 4-3 walk-off win over Marion Center at the Bison Sports Complex Saturday afternoon.
Nate Barr dropped a one-out single into short center and Eli Glass was intentionally walked after the second out to bring up Walker, who came through with his game-winning hit following a wild pitch that had both runners in scoring position.
Jefferson County League newcomer Marion Center (1-2) had gone ahead 3-2 in the top of the inning on an error after Glass, working in relief of Walker, had walked the bases full.
Glass notched his second win, striking out three around four walks in his one inning on the mound.
Starting hurlers Walker and Dylan Goss dueled through three scoreless frames, and the Chiefs’ left-hander kept his shutout going until three misplays and a single by Brandon Gaston gave the visitors two unearned runs in the top of the sixth.
Clearfield (7-2-1) took Walker off the hook in the lower half when Glass led off with a home run over the right field fence that extended his hitting streak to 10 games and Morgen Billotte, making his debut with the Chiefs, lined a single into center field to drive in Walker.
In his six-inning stint, Walker allowed four singles and four walks but escaped bases-loaded jams in the second and third innings with two of his 11 strikeouts.
The Chiefs did not manage a hit off Goss, who struck out six but exited after issuing his fifth and six walks and hit Hunter Dixon in the fourth frame.
Clayton Coble came on to wiggle out of that situation with two strikeouts and a groundout.
However, he couldn’t hold off the Chiefs in the last two innings and was tagged with the loss.
Barr had two of Clearfield’s four hits, one a double.
The first-place Chiefs are 5-1 halfway through their JCL schedule.
They will go to DuBois Tuesday for a 6 p.m. game at Showers Field.
MARION CENTER — 3
Matt Gaston 2b 3000, Vinnie Fry lf-cf 3120, Clayton Coble cf-p 4010, Dylan Goss p-1b 3000, Tyler Lightcap ss 3000, Marcus Bedzik 1b-3b 3100, Brandon Gaston c 2110, Malachi Pugh 3b-rf 3000, Joe Semetkosky rf-lf 3000. TOTALS: 27 3 4 0.
CLEARFIELD — 4
Nate Barr ss 3120, Hayden Williams 3b 4000, Eli Glass cf-p 2211, Cade Walker 2112, Hunter Dixon 1b 1000, Morgen Billotte 2b 3011, Ty Troxell lf-rf 2000, Matt Bailor c 3000, Blake Prestash rf-lf, Isaac Durandetta eh 3000. TOTALS: 24 5 4 4.
Score by Innings
Marion Center 000 002 1 – 3 4 1
Clearfield 000 002 2 – 4 5 6
E – Lightcap; Barr, Glass 2, Walker 2, Bailor. PB – Bailor 3. LOB – Marion Center 11; Clearfield 10. 2B – Barr, Walker. HR – Glass (1). Sac – Dixon. SB – Goss.
Pitching
Marion Center – Goss 3+ IP (faced three batters in 4thx), 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 6 K; Coble 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
Clearfield – Walker 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER< 4 BB, 11 K; Glass 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.
HB – Goss 1 (Dixon). WP – Goss 1; Coble 2; Walker 1.
W – Glass (2-0). L – Coble.
Umpires – Frank Keenan (plate) and Norm Bender (bases).