HYDE — Having to wait an entire week to play ball, as the midweek weather drenched fields, is a big challenge for any team. The only saving grace is it allows arms to rest, and strength to be rebuilt. The Clearfield Bison, last on the field on April 27, managed to take to their own field Monday afternoon, welcoming in the Bellefonte Red Raiders for battle underneath blue skies.
Fans in attendance were treated to a battle not at the plate, but on the hill. Hits were at a premium, and strikeouts were plenty. Neither side had an advantage, but a late charge made the difference. Despite grabbing the lead with one inning left, Clearfield would falter in the seventh, dropping a tight 3-2 game in devastating fashion.
Both starting pitchers showcased superb outings, neither letting a run cross home for three complete innings.
Clearfield’s Jayce Brothers would have a game of his life, going five innings, giving up his only run in the fourth to an RBI-single by Austin Houser. In that time, he would strike out a season-high 10 batters, while walking only two. That effort, though, would not lead to a decision on his part.
By contrast, Bellefonte’s Carson Henry had his own exceptional afternoon. He would pitch five shutout innings, striking out seven. It wasn’t until the sixth that things went a bit awry. After walking O’Brian Owens, then Rex Butler singling to short, Colton Bumbarger then made an 0-2 offering the biggest hit of the afternoon. He would soar a line drive to center field, bringing both runners home for a two-RBI double that put Clearfield in front. The tight battle went to the seventh inning with three outs needed to close it out.
Connor Peacock took over pitching beginning in the sixth, but an inning later had a rocky start. Cole Houser walked on four straight pitches. Braeden Fortney tried to bunt in order to advance Houser to second, but the ball went high enough that Owens caught the pop up from the catcher spot for out one.
Zach Lehman loaded the count, with ball three getting past Owens, allowing Houser to advance to second. One pitch later, a near case of same song, different team.
Lehman blasted the ball on a line to center field, letting Houser round his way home to tie the game, and at minimum meaning the bottom of the inning would need played for a walk-off opportunity.
Evan Mattern grounded out to short, putting the second out on the board, but the throw to get the out at first advanced Lehman to third, putting him 90 feet from taking the lead.
It was one pitch to Parker VonGunden that let it happen. He connected hard and the ball went up the third baseline, getting past Brody Ryen into left field, which put an RBI-single in the stat book for VonGunden, and Bellefonte out front. Peacock got out of the inning, and now had to rely on the offense to possibly give him a chance to go out in extras, or earn him the win with a two-run comeback.
Hayden Rumsky walked to start the inning, putting the tying run on base.
Relief pitcher, Tristan Heeman, then settled in. After going up 3-0 in the count to Braison Patrick, he saw a swing and miss for strike one. Patrick watched the second strike go by and went after the next offering. He caught only air for out one. Ryen took a shot at three of his four pitches, with no contact for out two.
All that was left was Jake Bloom at cleanup to move the runner. He watched the first pitch go by, with the umpire calling it in the zone for strike one. Bloom took a look at the second pitch and again let it go. That also was in the zone, putting him in an 0-2 hole. The next pitch would either extend the game by being outside the zone, fouled off to keep Bloom alive, or connect enough to put both runners on base.
Heeman wound up and hurled the pitch. Bloom went for it with everything in his upper body. The swing…missed. Strike three earned Henry the win, Heeman the save, and for Peacock, he got dinged with the loss on a third-straight swinging strikeout.
It is a four-game week for Clearfield (6-8), as they will have a day of rest before hitting the road on Wednesday to face St. Marys.
SCORE BY INNING
Bellefonte 000 100 2 – 3 5 0
Clearfield 000 002 0 – 2 4 2
Bellefonte – 3
Braeden Fortney-cf 4010, Zach Lehman-ss 2111, Evan Mattern-lf 4000, Parker VonGunden-dh 4111, Tristan Heeman-p 0000, Quentin Crouthamel-1b 3010, Jack McHail-c 3000, Austin Houser-3b 2011, Cameron Lucas-2b 3000, Cole Houser-rf 2100. TOTALS 27 3 5 3.
Clearfield – 2
Jayce Brothers-p/2b 3010, O’Brian Owens-c 2100, Rex Butler-lf 3110, Colton Bumbarger-3b 3012, Connor Peacock-2b/p 3000, Hayden Rumsky-cf 2000, Braison Patrick-ss 3010, Landon Brady-rf 1000, Brody Ryen-3b 1000, Jake Bloom-1b 3000. TOTALS 24 2 4 2.
2B: Crouthamel/Bumbarger
HBP: Lehman
SB: Fortney, Jodon
E: Bloom, Rumsky
Pitching
Bellefonte: Henry-6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 SO, 2 BB; Heeman-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 SO, 1 BB.
Clearfield: Brothers-5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 10 SO, 2 BB; Peacock-2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 SO, 3 BB.
W-Henry
L-Peacock (3-4)
S-Heeman
Clearfield Bison Baseball Scoreboard
| DATE AND OPPONENT | SCORE | RECORD |
| 3/16 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | PPD. | 0-0 |
| 3/19 at Tyrone | 7-6 | 1-0 |
| 3/23 HOLLIDAYSBURG | PPD. | 1-0 |
| 3/26 at Bishop Guilfoyle | 6-4 | 2-0 |
| 3/27 BEDFORD | PPD. | 2-0 |
| 3/30 at Huntingdon | 0-15 | 2-1 |
| 4/1 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | PPD. | 2-1 |
| 4/8 at Bellwood-Antis | 4-6 | 2-2 |
| 4/10 at Westmont Hilltop | 16-10 | 3-2 |
| 4/13 PENNS VALLEY | 2-1 | 4-2 |
| 4/14 HOLLIDAYSBURG | 3-9 | 4-3 |
| 4/16 at Bald Eagle Area | 6-7 | 4-4 |
| 4/17 BEDFORD (4 p.m.) | 5-4 | 5-4 |
| 4/20 PUNXSUTAWNEY | PPD. | 5-4 |
| 4/21 PUNXSUTAWNEY | 2-10 | 5-5 |
| 4/23 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 0-10 | 5-6 |
| 4/24 CENTRAL CAMBRIA | 3-2 | 6-6 |
| 4/27 CENTRAL | 4-7 | 6-7 |
| 4/29 at Richland | PPD. | 6-7 |
| 4/30 at Bradford | PPD. | 6-7 |
| 5/4 BELLEFONTE | 2-3 | 6-8 |
| 5/6 at St. Marys | Â | Â |
| 5/7 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | Â | Â |
| 5/8 at Richland (2 p.m.) | Â | Â |
| 5/11 TYRONE | Â | Â |
| 5/12 at Bradford | Â | Â |
| 5/13 at Dubois | Â | Â |
