CLEARFIELD — The weather has not been kind to baseball this year for any area team, but the start of the week saw nothing but blue skies, comfortable temperatures, and a great atmosphere for the diamond. What is unique, at least on this day, is the Clearfield Bison ravel to face the Huntingdon Bearcats in a rare double-header, at least in theory.
The first game between these two squads started back on April 11 in Clearfield, with the Bison holding the lead in the third. But, the skies opened up and the umpires called the teams to the dugout, ultimately postponing the rest of the game to be completed at Huntingdon. Then field conditions moved the game right back to Clearfield instead. Since then, the Bison have struggled to get wins on the year. Those struggles were erased as the Bison would double down on the afternoon, taking both games against Huntingdon, the first by an 8-0 shutout, the second with an 8-4 final.
Game one was restarted in the third with Clearfield at bat, and the bases loaded, having two runs already on the board. Ultimately the inning ended with no runs scored, but it was not the final time Clearfield got on the board.
One inning later the Bison got things going once more. With runners on second and third, Blake Prestash blasted a two-RBI single to center field, bringing home Kyle Elensky and Nolan Barr to increase the lead to 4-0.
On the hill, Kyle Elensky did his part as he tossed a solid game, going seven innings, striking out seven and only walking one to earn the victory.
On the opposite side, starting pitcher for Huntingdon Josh Bryson struggled as the four earned runs he gave up in his five innings of work were enough to get tagged with the loss.
Clearfield added another four runs in the sixth to put the game away as first a fielder’s choice that brought Barr in for his second of three runs he got in the game. Two batters later, Mike Fester connected on a liner to left that brought in a pair of runs to increase the lead to 7-0. The final run came in unearned fashion when Elensky helped his own effort, reaching on an error by Ashton Steele that brought in the final run, more than enough to secure the victory.
Both teams got a chance to rest, stay loose, and prepare for the second game on the afternoon, this time with Clearfield as the road team.
GAME 1 (Restarted from April 11)
SCORE BY INNING
Huntingdon 000 000 0 – 0 5 1
Clearfield 002 204 X – 8 10 2
Huntingdon – 0
Ashton Steele-SS 4000, Eric Mykut-CF 3020, Josh Bryson-P 3010, Ryan Marshall-C 2000, Ryan Hack-DH 1000, Lincoln Miller-3B 2010, Gavin Woodward-1B 3000, Ryder Sheffield-RF 2000, Jacob Rigby-PH 1000, Anthony Patti-RF 2010, Hunter Peck-PH 1000, Jack Foster-LF 3000, Kyle Garner-CR 0000. TOTALS 27 0 5 0.
Clearfield – 8
Kyle Elensky-P 4110, Nolan Barr-2B 3320, Morgen Billotte-CF 3210, Blake Prestash-1B 4012, Cole Bloom-C 4022, Ryan Gearhart-SS 3111, Mike Fester-3B 2012, Shane Coudriet-LF 1000, Ty Troxell-PH/RF 2010, Elijah Quick-RF 2000, Isaac Durandetta-PH 1000, Jesse Lumadue-PH 1000, Kam Kushner-CR 0100. TOTALS 30 8 10 7.
- LOB: 7/11
- E: Steele/Gearhart-2
- ROE: Mykut, Foster/Elensky
- 2B: Mykut
- FC: Barr, Bloom
- HBP: Fester, Gearhart
- SB: Mykut/Barr, Billotte
PITCHING
Huntingdon: Bryson-5 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 9 SO, 5 BB; Hollibaugh-1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB.
Clearfield: Elensky-7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 7 SO, 1 BB.
W-Elensky
L-Bryson
The second game between the Bison and Bearcats got off to a quick start, but this time it was the opposition that got the scoring started with a big RBI-double by Ryan Marshall to bring Eric Mykut home for the first run Huntingdon scored on the afternoon.
One inning later Clearfield tied things up with a fielder’s choice by Mike Fester. That is where the score remained until the fourth inning, when Clearfield lit up the scoreboard.
Cole Bloom first reached on an error to nab an unearned run, giving the Bison the one-run advantage. Two batters later, Ryan Gearhart connected with a full count on a grounder right up the gap into center field for the RBI-single. Elensky then followed up his victory performance in the first game with a fly ball into left field that soared far enough to plate another two runs, making it suddenly 5-1 in favor of the Bison. Morgen Billotte ended the scoring in the inning with a hard grounder to center for another RBI-single to make it 6-1, and Clearfield was cruising from there.
Blake Prestash was solid on the hill for Clearfield in game two, going five and two-thirds innings to earn the victory. At the same time, his defense had to be sharp, and quickly shifted momentum in the bottom of the inning.
After giving up a single to Marshall, Bryson connected on a 2-0 shot. The problem was, it went directly to Fester at third, who managed to turn a 5-4-3 double play and clear the bases.
The two squads traded runs in the fifth inning before the Bearcats closed to within three one inning later with an RBI-single from Josh Hollibaugh and a fielder’s choice by Lincoln Miller.
That would be the only runs scored through the remainder of the game for Huntingdon, who saw Ashton Steele get tagged with the loss in a three and two-thirds inning effort that saw him give up six runs striking out four, and walking another four.
Clearfield’s last run came in the seventh when Billotte got another RBI-single to center field to bring in Elensky. In the bottom of the inning, Elensky finished the game off with a pair of strikeouts to get the win.
The Bison (6-9) are heading into the final five games of their season beginning on Wednesday when they return to their home field to host a 4:30 p.m. showdown with Hollidaysburg.
GAME 2
SCORE BY INNING
Clearfield 010 510 1 – 8 9 1
Huntingdon 100 012 0 – 4 10 1
Clearfield – 8
Kyle Elensky-SS/P 4212, Nolan Barr-1B/2B 3010, Morgen Billotte-CF 5022, Blake Prestash-P/1B 3010, Kam Kushner-CR 0200, Cole Bloom-C 4210, Ty Troxell-RF 2010, Ryan Gearhart-2B/P 3121, Mike Fester-3B 2101, Elijah Quick-LF 2000, Shane Coudriet-PH/LF 1000, Isaac Durandetta-PH 1000. TOTALS 30 8 9 6.
Huntingdon – 4
Eric Mykut-CF 2110, Jack Foster-2B 3010, Ashton Steele-P/SS 4010, Hunter Peck-CR 0100, Liam Simpson-CR 0000, Ryan Marshall-C 4041, Josh Bryson-SS/LF 4110, Anthony Patti-RF 4000, Josh Hollibaugh-DH 4011, Lincoln Miller-3B 2001, Gavin Woodward-1B 2010, Ryder Sheffield-CR 0100. TOTALS 29 4 10 3.
- LOB: 10/9
- E: Coudriet/Bryson
- ROE: Bloom
- 2B: Prestash/Marshall
- 3B: Mykut
- FC: Bloom, Fester, Gearhart/Miller
- DP: Fester
- GIDP: Bryson
- SB: Bloom, Elensky, Fester, Gearhart
- CS: Foster
- PIK: Troxell
PITCHING
Clearfield: Prestash-5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 SO, 4 BB; Gearhart-0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB; Elensky-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB.
Huntingdon: Steele-3.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 4 SO, 4 BB; CJ Moore-0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 SO, 2 BB; Miller-2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 SO, 5 BB.
W-Prestash
L-Steele
