CLEARFIELD — Eli Glass pitched a four-hitter, Kyle Elensky drove in three runs, and the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team capitalized on Jeremy Krise’s control problems to defeat DuBois 5-2 in the elimination bracket final of the Jefferson County League Playoffs at the Lawrence Township Rec Park Saturday evening.
The Chiefs must knock off regular season champion Punxsutawney twice to claim the 2019 JCL title, needing a win in Sunday’s 5 p.m. game at Rich Kuntz Memorial Field to force the extra showdown which would be played at the LTRP Field Monday.
Glass gave his teammates that opportunity.
The right-hander, making only his third start, kept the visitors in check despite issuing six walks.
He worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the first inning with one of his five strikeouts and a groundout and allowed DuBios their only runs in the fourth frame after Clearfield had built a 5-0 lead.
“Eli rose to the occasion,” manager Sid Lansberry said. “Off and on this summer, he’s had a sore arm, so he hasn’t pitched a whole lot.
“This game, he came through. That’s the sign of a warrior (when) a guy comes through in a big game.”
Glass delivered his 100th pitch to finish the sixth inning but came back out in the seventh to register his third complete game in five appearances.
“I don’t know how many pitched he ended up with,” Lansberry said. “He said, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ He wasn’t coming out. That’s what you need, the type of bulldog mentality that I’m not coming out of this game. We’re gonna win.
“And the other guys kind of followed him.”
After Glass escaped the early jam created by an error and two walks, the Chiefs jumped in front with three runs in the lower half of the first, getting some help with walks to Nate Barr and Hayden Williams by losing hurler Jeremy Krise and an error on Glass’ potential double play grounder.
Barr scored on a wild pitch, Seth Bumbarger singled through the left side for the second run and, after Nolan Barr received a free pass, Kyle Elensky picked up an RBI when his fly ball to right was dropped but turned into a fielder’s choice via a forceout at second base.
“Bummy had a clutch hit that inning, and they kind of helped us out,” Lansberry said. “And we had a clutch hit from Kyle.”
Elensky provided the insurance that took some of the pressure off Glass in the late innings when he slapped a two-run single into right field in the third after Allan Myers and Nolan Barr drew two-out walks and moved up a base on a wild pitch.
Those runs loomed large when the Post 17 team cashed two walks in the next inning. Krise’s single to left filled the sacks, and Dayne Bauman and Cullen Corle earned the RBIs with a forceout and single, respectively.
Glass then induced a comebacker for the final out, stranded two more runners in the fifth with a strikeout and had to face only seven batters in the last two innings to wrap up his fourth victory without a loss.
Elensky had two of Clearfield’s five hits off Krise and reliever Chandler Ho.
The Chiefs, who beat Punxsutawney in two of the three regular season games, will take a 12-5-1 record into Sunday’s game with hopes for a trip to the Region 7 Tournament at Latrobe still alive.
DuBois dropped to 8-7 but will play in the Pennsylvania State Tournament at the end of the month as the host team.
DUBOIS — 2
Chandler Ho cf-p 3010, Garrett Starr ss 4000, Garrett Prosper 1b 2000, Jordan Frano c 0100, Justin Swauger lf 3000, Alex Pasternak 3b 2100, Jeremy Krise p-rf 3010, Dayne Bauman 2b 3011, Cullen Corle eh 3011, Ethan Spellen rf-cf 0000, Jake Mowrey dh 2000, Nate Farrell ph 1000. TOTALS: 26 2 4 2.
CLEARFIELD — 5
Nate Barr ss 2110, Hayden Williams 3b 2100, Eli Glass p 3100, Seth Bumbarger 1b 3011, Allan Myers c 2100, Nolan Barr cf 1100, Kyle Elensky 2b 3023, Blake Prestash lf 3000, Hunter Dixon eh 2010, Matt Bailor rf 2000. TOTALS: 23 5 5 4.
Score by Innings
DuBois 000 200 0 – 2 4 1
Clearfield 302 000 x – 5 5 2
E – Starr; Na. Barr, Williams. LOB – DuBois 9; Clearfield 7. 2B – Ho. SB – Ho; Bumbarger.
Pitching
DuBois – Krise 4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 5 K; Ho 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – Glass 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K.
WP – Krise 3.
W – Glass (4-0). L – Krise.
Umpires – Terry Bean (plate) and Joe Shick (bases).