HUNTINGDON — The baseball season for Clearfield is drawing ever closer to a conclusion, and every game is counting that much more to having a successful season. The Bison loaded up the buses, one day after putting up 15 runs against Brookville, for a Mountain League contest against the Huntingdon Bearcats, a team they already beat one month earlier.
This time, the tables were turned as Clearfield clawed back after getting down early, but the late rally fell short and Huntingdon emerged with the 6-4 triumph, splitting the series with Clearfield on the season.
Three of the runs for the Bearcats came in the opening inning. A lead-off double by Josh Bryson, then a single two batters later from Tyson Cook put runners on the corners for Brady Handy. With two balls and a strike against him, he would connect into center field for a huge two RBI-double to open the scoring. One batter later, following a wild pitch that allowed Handy to advance to third, Jackson Foster ground out to shortstop Morgen Billotte, who chose to toss to Nick Domico at first for the second out. Handy would make his way home, putting the score at 3-0 after one inning.
Huntingdon added in another three runs over the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, an RBI-single to right field from Ryan Hack plated Foster. An inning later, during a dropped third strike via Handy, which saw Matt Bailor hurl to first for the out, Ashton Steele advanced home for the fifth run. Tyson Cook then came home on a wild pitch for the sixth run.
All those runs would be enough for Kyle Elensky to be tabbed with the loss, hurling four and one-third innings, giving up five earned runs and striking out one.
Clearfield managed to get a run in the sixth inning when Nolan Barr reached on an error. Hunter Dixon, who singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a walk, would round the bases on the error for Clearfield’s first run.
The seventh inning got interesting as Huntingdon already made a pitching change, taking Steele off the mound and having Ryan Hack take over in the fourth. Blake Prestash opened the inning with a double into center field, then Billotte walked to put runners on first and second. Nick Domico came to the plate and saw one pitch come his way, and decided to power into the swing. The crack of the bat was evident and the entire Clearfield dugout knew it. The ball went back all the way to the left field wall, and went over the padding. A three-run home run brought Clearfield to home plate to greet their heavy hitter, and saw the gap suddenly shrink. The hit invigorated the Bison, and got them ready to continue the rally.
However, Clearfield only managed one more hit over the next four batters, and the rally came to a halt in a devastating loss.
Clearfield (5-9-1) plays their final road contest of the season on Thursday when they travel to face Penns Valley. The Rams won the first game against the Bison, 10-5, on April 20 in Clearfield.
SCORE BY INNING
Clearfield 000 001 3 – 4 7 0
Huntingdon 300 120 X – 6 6 4
Clearfield – 4
Kyle Elensky-P/SS 4000, Nolan Barr-2B/P 3000, Karson Rumsky-CF 3000, Blake Prestash-3B 4120, Morgen Billotte-SS/LF 1100, Nick Domico-1B 4113, Hunter Dixon-DH 3120, Ryan Gearhart-LF/P 1000, Matt Bailor-C 4010, Cole Bloom-RF 4010. TOTALS 31 4 7 3.
Huntingdon – 6
Josh Bryson-3B/P 3110, Ashton Steele-P/SS 2100, Tyson Cook-SS/2B 2210, Brady Handy-C 3113, Jackson Foster-LF 3111, Ryan Marshall-DH 1000, Gavin Woodward-1B 3000, Ryan Hack-2B/P/3B 3021, Jerry Safko-CF 2000. TOTALS 22 6 6 5.
LOB: 12/2
E: Cook, Bryson, Steele, Crotsley
ROE: Barr, Bloom, Prestash, Rumsky
2B: Prestash-2/Handy, Bryson
HR: Domico
SAC: Marshall
FC: Domico, Elensky-2/Woodward, Safko
HBP: Rumsky
CS: Barr/Woodward
Pitching
Clearfield: Elensky-4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 SO, 2 BB; Gearhart-1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB; Barr-0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 0 BB.
Huntingdon: Steele-3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 3 BB; Hack-3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 SO, 2 BB; Bryson-1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB.
W-Steele
L-Elensky