DUBOIS — On a day that saw schools closed and patriotism building while honoring those that have sacrificed to keep us free, it also was an afternoon for baseball. Returning to the same venue where they pulled off a district championship last week, the Clearfield Bison descended onto Showers Field embarking on the next step in the postseason. For the Bison, the subregional with the District 5 champion Somerset Golden Eagles, was the next step in order to make it into the state playoffs.
Heart, desire, and the will to not quit defined what Monday afternoon was all about. Despite falling behind, then falling into a deeper hole, the Bison buckled down and began a charge when it mattered most. When it was all said and done, Clearfield earned more hits than Somerset but did not have enough runs. The late charge fell short, and Clearfield’s season came to a close in a 6-5 loss.
The game began with Somerset taking advantage of opportunities. A pair of walks by Jayce Brothers, who got the start for the second-consecutive game, led to a run being scored on a fielding error by Connor Peacock. A pair of batters later, Colt Hagans added to his offensive stats with an RBI on a sacrifice fly to make it an early 2-0 lead for Somerset.
Clearfield got one of those runs back in the bottom of the second when Jake Bloom ground to shortstop Jake Stoy and the play fell through on an errant throw. Peacock crossed home to cut the lead in half.
Both teams would add a run in the fourth, further showing that the game was going to be a tight contest.
The Bison put up more hits on the afternoon, 7-3, but the problem became cashing in on the hits, or following them up with another to advance runners or plate runners. After five innings, Clearfield still found itself down by one run. Brothers and Peacock swapped positions, as Brothers gave up the three runs in four innings of work.
Upon starting the sixth inning, it only took one swing that made all the difference.
Peacock struck out Josh Wilmotte to start the inning, then back-to-back walks to Stoy and Caden Stephens loaded up the bases with one out on the board. A fly out to right by Max Means managed to hold everyone on base. Braeden Flower changed all that, blasting a one-strike bomb to the wall in center field, a 355-foot launch. The hit wiped everyone off the bases with a three-run double to suddenly put the Bison in a hole.
No runs by Clearfield came in the bottom of the inning, but luckily the Bison defense managed to keep the Golden Eagles from adding to the lead in the seventh. Three outs would end the year, but four runs would tie it up and head to extras. Getting five meant a walk-off into the state playoffs, and after a huddle by head coach Sid Lansberry and his staff, the Bison came to the plate ready to give it a run.
Brothers walked on a full count to get one runner on. O’Brian Owens grounded out to Stoy at short for the opening out, while Brothers managed to advance to second. Noah Wriglesworth then walked to put a pair of runners on. Colton Bumbarger then connected on a 1-1 offering, but it went right back to Flower, who came in for relief on the hill. The second out still advanced runners, but time was now running out.
Hayden Rumsky then came to the plate. On the 1-1 pitch, he hammered the ball into right field to the wall. The hit was enough to bring both Brothers and Wriglesworth across the plate. He would try for third and second baseman Ivan Stankan threw the relay away, allowing Rumsky to score as well. The three runs suddenly lit up the Bison dugout and stands, and they all began feeling the hope that the rally could very well happen.Â
Things suddenly really began to be in favor as both Peacock and Braison Patrick each walked, putting the tying and winning runs on base.
Landon Brady, who had not managed a hit on the day to that point, was tasked with extending the game.
He watched the first two strikes go by, and the nervousness began setting in.
The third pitch saw contact, but the contact was not enough as the hit went right to Stankan at second, who threw to first for the final out, and the final at-bat for the Bison 2026 season.
Brothers took the loss on the afternoon, dropping his record for the year to an even 4-4. Colt Hagans picked up the victory for the Golden Eagles, and Flower earned the save.
The game would be the final one for six Bison players who are set to graduate in just over one week. Clearfield’s final record comes in at 11-10, as the Bison finished on a four-game winning streak prior to the loss that included another district title after coming up just short one year ago.
SCORE BY INNING
Somerset 200 103 0 – 6 3 2
Clearfield 010 100 3 – 5 7 1
Somerset – 6
Braeden Flower-2b/p 2113, Ashton Harmon-c 2100, Garret Reese-3b 4010, Kellan Hagans-rf 4000, Josh Wilmotte-1b 2100, Colt Hagans-p 2001, Jake Stoy-ss 1200, Caden Stephens-lf 1100, Max Means-cf 2011. TOTALS 20 6 3 5.
Clearfield – 5
Jayce Brothers-p/3b 3100, O’Brian Owens-c 3000, Noah Wriglesworth-lf 2120, Colton Bumbarger-2b 4000, Hayden Rumsky-cf 3112, Connor Peacock-3b/p 3110, Braison Patrick-ss 3120, Landon Brady-rf 3000, Jake Bloom-1b 3011. TOTALS 27 5 7 3.
2B: Flower
3B: Rumsky
HBP: Wilmotte-2/Rumsky
SF: C. Hagans
SB: Stoy, Flower/Patrick, Owens, Wriglesworth, Peacock
E: Stankan, Stoy/Peacock
Pitching
Somerset: C. Hagans-4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 SO, 2 BB; Flower-3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 SO, 5 BB.
Clearfield: Brothers-4 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 5 BB; Peacock-2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 SO, 3 BB.
W-C. Hagans. S – Flower.
L-Brothers (4-4)
Final 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 | PPD. | 6-8 |
| 5/7 BISHOP GUILFOYLE | 11-1 | 7-8Â |
| 5/8 at Richland (2 p.m.) | 3-7 | 7-9 |
| 5/11 TYRONE | 11-5 | 8-9 |
| 5/12 at Bradford | 13-2 | 9-9 |
| 5/13 DUBOIS | Canceled | 9-9 |
| 5/14 at St. Marys (2 p.m.) | 8-1 | 10-9 |
| 5/20 vs. Punxsutawney (In Dubois) District 9 Championship-Class 4A |
4-3 | 11-9 |
| 5/25 vs. Somerset (In Dubois) District 5/9 Subregional |
5-6 | 11-10 |
