PUNXSUTAWNEY — The Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team’s hopes for a Jefferson County League championship were short-circuited by Punxsutawney in an 8-1 loss at Rich Kuntz Memorial Field Sunday evening.
The regular season kings made it a sweep of the 2019 titles with a six-run outburst in the third inning and solid pitching from Logan Johnston and Chase Palmer.
Johnston worked into the sixth inning, allowing all four Clearfield hits and three walks while striking out two.
The Chiefs tagged him for their run in the first inning when Hayden Williams, aboard via a forceout after Nate Barr walked, raced to third on the first of Eli Glass’ two line singles to right field and scored on Seth Bumbarger’s groundout.
After that, it was pretty much all Punxsutawney, though the Chiefs did strand runners at first and second in their second and third at-bats.
They were hitless and had only two baserunners over the final four innings.
Cade Walker got bailed out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the first frame when the middle infield turned a double play, but the left-hander had troubled finding the plate in the third as Punxsy had a dozen at-bats.
He walked four batters, all of whom scored, and hit Johnston, whose courtesy runner also crossed the plate. The only hits in the rally were singles by Cole LaBenne, Seth Dunkle and Alec Greenblatt that drove in the last three runs, all unearned because of an early error.
Dunkle, who led off with a walk, sprinted home for the tying run on a wild pitch and Greenblatt walked to the plate for the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded free pass to Tanner LaBenne.
“One bad inning,” Clearfield skipper Sid Lansberry lamented. “Cade hadn’t pitched for a while, but we had to go with him.”
Walker, whose last outing was June 27, was relieved by Hunter Dixon, and he limited the winners to four hits and two sixth-inning runs, one earned. Dixon fanned three and walked one.
“I give Hunter some credit,” Lansberry said. “He came in and did okay. He was not ready to pitch.”
Cole LaBenne, Dunkle and Alec Greenblatt had two hits apiece for the Post 62 team.
The Chiefs, who were the second seeds, finished the double-elimination tourney 2-2 for a final record of 12-6-1, that included a 2-1-1 performance in the Hillbilly Hardball Classic in West Virginia.
“I thought we had a pretty good year,” Lansberry said. “Summer baseball is becoming tougher and tougher because of all the other activities the kids are involved in.
“I thought we played really well in West Virginia, against good competition. That was the highlight of the season for me.”
Lansberry thanked his assistant coaches, Ed Yeager, Aaron Williams and Andy Sorbera, and expressed his appreciation for the support from the John Lewis Shade Post 6.
Punxsutawney will take a 13-2 record into the Pennsylvania Region 7 Tournament that gets under way Friday at Latrobe.
CLEARFIELD — 1
Nate Barr ss 2000, Hayden Williams 3b 3000, Eli Glass eh 2020, Seth Bumbarger 1b 3011, Allan Myers c 3000, Kyle Elensky 2b 3010, Nolan Barr cf 2000, Morgen Billotte lf 2000, Cade Walker p-rf 1000, Blake Prestash dh 2000, Matt Bailor rf 1000, Hunter Dixon p 1000. TOTALS: 25 1 4 1.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 8
Seth Dunkle ss 2221, Alec Greenblatt 2b 4121, Adison Neal c 1200, Isaac Stouffer 3b-lf 4011, Colton Adamson rf 0000, Aaron Park dh 3100, Tanner LaBenne 1b 3111, Logan Johnston p 2101, Cole LaBenne cf 4021, Chase Palmer lf-p 3000. TOTALS: 26 8 8 6.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 100 000 0 – 1 4 3
Punxsutawney 006 002 x – 8 8 2
E – Na. Barr, Williams, Dixon; Greenblatt, Neal. DP – Clearfield 1 (Na. Barr, Elensky and Bumbarger). LOB – Clearfield 7; Punxsutawney 9. Sac – No. Barr; Neal.
Pitching
Clearfield – Walker 2-2/3 IP 4 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 2 K; Dixon 3-2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
Punxsutawney – Johnston 5+ IP (faced 1 batter in 6th), 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Palmer 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
HB – Walker 1 (Johnston). WP – Walker 2.
W – Johnston. L – Walker (2-2).
Umpires – Keith Lepionka (plate) and Rob Morgan (bases).
