HYDE – The door to the District 9 Northern Allegany Mountain Big School Division championship opened for Clearfield Friday when Punxsutawney tripped up DuBois 12-6, and the Bisons took the first of three steps needed to ascend to the throne with a 10-4 victory over Bradford Monday afternoon.
At 6-2 in the league after their seventh win in a row, they moved into a virtual tie for the top spot with the Beavers and Chucks, who finished the D9NAL\’s first season at 7-3.
Coach Sid Lansberry\’s Bisons must defeat Brookville Wednesday and St. Marys Thursday to claim the title.
A split would mean a three-way tie.
\”Every win\’s a big one right now,\” Lansberry said. \”We\’re still in the hunt for the District 9 League, so we had to win tonight. It\’s that simple.\”
Clearfield (9-5) was focused on the task at hand in only its third game of the season at the Bison Sports Complex, scoring in every inning except the second.
Eight Bisons contributed to a 12-hit attack, with their three big guns combining for seven safeties and five runs batted in.
Leadoff batter Jarrin Campman enjoyed his second consecutive three-hit game, boosting his average to .391. He also stole three bases, scored three times and drove in one run.
\”He\’s starting to play like he did last year,\” Lansberry said.
Tanner St. Clair extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a pair of ringing RBI-doubles that upped his team-leading average to .452.
\”Tanner had a couple big hits,\” Lansberry said. \”He\’s been hitting the ball. When he hits it, he hits it hard.\”
Justin Hoffman chipped in with two run-scoring singles to match Campman in average, hits with 18 and RBIs with 13, one more than St. Clair has posted.
\”Hoffman had a big hit that last inning,\” Lansberry noted. \”If we don\’t get those extra runs, you never know.\”
In the bottom of the sixth, Hoffman greeted relief pitcher Kyle Yurkewicz with a line drive to right that plated Parker Herrington and sent courtesy runner Wil Beauseigneur to third base. Moments later, Hoffman headed for second, drawing a throw that enabled Beauseigneur to steal home for Clearfield\’s final run.
When Corey Bookhamer, who had handcuffed Bradford (6-12, 1-7 D9NAL) on five hits through five innings, walked Lou Jones on four pitches leading off the seventh, Lansberry called on Herrington.
The hard-throwing senior alternated strikeouts and walks to end the game with Owls at every base.
\”Bookie did a great job,\” Lansberry said. \”They\’ve got four or five good hitters. Then Parker came in and shut the door like he usually does.\”
Bradford\’s lone run through five innings was Cory Viola\’s home run leading off the third that tied the score 1-1.
Later in the inning, a strong throw by St. Clair on Jones\’ single to left prevented the Owls from taking the lead. He cut down Mike Pascarella, who had doubled up the right center alley.
\”\”I thought Bookie was sharp until the sixth inning,\” Lansberry said. \”With two outs and nobody on, he got in trouble. He just hit the wall.\”
Josh Lightner\’s two-run single and an error on pick-off play sliced Clearfield\’s lead to 7-4. Bookhamer gave up the fourth of his five walks but followed up with his eighth strikeout.
The Bisons broke on top in the first frame when Campman lined a single to center, stole second and scored on Tanner\’s blast to the 370-foot mark in dead center.
They went ahead 4-1 in the third with RBIs from St. Clair on drive that one-hopped the fence in left, Bookhamer on a groundout and Hoffman on a bouncer up the middle.
Doubles by Kyle Timchak and Campman on what appeared to be catchable balls gave Clearfield a run in the fifth, and Derek Danver ripped a single to left for two more runs off loser Pat O\’Hara in the fifth.
\”Danver had a real big hit,\” Lansberry said. \”That put us up 7-1.\”
The Bisons travel to Williamsport for their Central Penn League finale Tuesday before turning their attention to Wednesday\’s trip to Brookville.
The Clearfield junior varsity raised its record to 6-5 with a 6-4 victory.
Kyle Kephart and Jarrett Fulmer had two hits apiece, and Derrick Snyder picked up his third win without a defeat.
BRADFORD — 4
Cory Viola 33 3111, Mike Pascarella 1b 3020, Lou Jones c 3020, Cody Matzner 2b 4000, Pat Pascarella cf 3000, Josh Scott rf 4000, Pat O\’Hara p 0000, Kyle Yurkewicz dh-p 3110, Clayton Yohe lf 2100, Josh Lightner 3b 3112. TOTALS: 28 4 7 3.
CLEARFIELD — 10
Jarrin Campman 2b 3331, Parker Herrington ss-p 3211, Tanner St. Clair lf 4122, Corey Bookhamer p-1b 2101, Justin Hoffman rf 4122, Aaron Sayers cf 3110, Derek Danver 3b-ss 3012, Trevor Flanagan 1b-3b 0000, Kyle Timchak dh 2110, Matt Lonjin c 3010. TOTALS: 27 10 12 9.
Score by Innings
Bradford 001 003 0 – 4 7 2
Clearfield 103 123 x – 10 12 3
Errors – Jones, Matzner; Campman, Bookhamer 2. PB – Lonjin 1. DP – Bradford 2 (Viola and M. Pascarella; Matzner, Viola and M. Pascarella). LOB – Bradford 10; Clearfield 6. 2B – M. Pascarella, Yurkewicz; Campman, St. Clair 2, Timchak. HR – Viola. Sac – Danver. SB – Campman 3, Wil Beauseigneur.
Pitching
Bradford – O\’Hara 5-1/3 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 6 BB, 0 K; Yurkewicz 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Bookhamer 6+ IP (faced 1 batter in 6th), 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 8 K; Herrington 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
WP – O\’Hara 1; Bookhamer 3, Herrington 1.
W – Bookhamer (3-0). L – O\’Hara (0-1)
Umpires – Jeff Holter (plate); Garry Shirey (bases).
