ALTOONA – After falling behind for the second time, Clearfield rallied for a 7-7 tie on Justin Hoffman\’s clutch two-run double off Altoona ace Andy Smithmyer in the top of the seventh inning at Mansion Park Monday afternoon, but Keith Katowski drilled a base-loaded single in the bottom of the frame to give the undefeated Mountain Lions an 8-7 win in schoolboy baseball action.
Hoffman and Jarrin Campman rapped three hits apiece and combined to drive in five runs for the Bisons, who fell to 0-3 in the Central Penn League and 1-3 overall in the make-up of the April 3 postponement.
\”We had 10 hits against decent pitching, and we played really good defense,\” coach Sid Lansberry said. \”We only had one error, and that was on a tough play. And we turned two double plays.\”
Clearfield led 1-0 early and 5-3 going to the bottom of the sixth, when Altoona rallied after shortstop Parker Herrington made two outstanding plays.
Lansberry likened the first one to defensive gems that make the ESPN Top Plays, as the Bison senior ranged into the hole for Mason Hershey\’s bouncer, leaped into the air and made a twisting throw to rob him of a hit.
Moments later, he cut off Will Snyder\’s grounder up the middle for the second out.
\”Those were two excellent plays,\” Lansberry said.
Then, what appeared to be a harmless infield single on Matt McDonald\’s dribbler down the first base line gave the Mountain Lions a spark.
Two walks by Bison hurler Michael Moyer loaded the bases, Smithmyer kept the inning alive with a run-scoring single to deep short, and Christian Helsel belted a bases-clearing triple to deep right.
\”We could have been out of that inning easily,\” Lansberry said.
Instead, Clearfield faced a two-run deficit.
The Bisons, playing their fourth consecutive road game, came back to tie it up against Smithmyer, who had posted back-to-back 15-strikeout wins over Cedar Cliff and Punxsutawney, no-hitting the Chucks 7-0.
The senior right-hander relieved Helsel, a freshman making his first varsity start, after Aaron Sayers led off the seventh with a single.
Corey Bookhamer drew a one-out walk, and Hoffman chased both of them home with a two-strike double to right center.
Smithmyer, who accepted a scholarship offer from Potomac (W.Va.) State just last week, ended the inning with his third strikeout and then picked up the win when Katowski lined his walk-off single to right.
The surprising Mountain Lions, whose three victories are one more than last season\’s total, had loaded the bases on three free passes, the last one a one-out intentional walk to set up a possible force play at the plate.
Tanner St. Clair tripled and scored on Hoffman\’s first hit in the second inning, but Altoona grabbed a 3-1 edge in the third on Helsel\’s RBI-triple, an error and Hershey\’s RBI-single. Two of the runs were unearned.
Clearfield reclaimed the lead with three runs in the fourth, Isaac Butler, Matt Lonjin and Campman getting the ribbies.
Hoffman\’s single and Campman\’s second double made it 5-3 in the sixth.
Weather permitting, the Bisons will play their home opener Wednesday against St. Marys and then travel to Punxsutawney Thursday for the make-up of last Wednesday\’s postponement. The key games against their District 9 Class AAA rivals will count in the District 9 Northern Allegany League as well as the CPL.
The Clearfield junior varsity picked up its first victory, 9-5. Kyler Kephart was the winning pitcher and also had two hits.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Jarrin Campman 2b 4032, Parker Herrington ss 4000, Aaron Sayers cf 2110, Derek Danver 3b 3000, Corey Bookhamer 1b 2100, Kyle Timchak pr 0100, Tanner St. Clair lf 4220, Justin Hoffman rf 3133, Michael Moyer p 0000, Isaac Butler dh 2111, Matt Lonjin c 3001. TOTALS: 27 7 10 7.
ALTOONA — 8
Andy Smithmyer ss-p 4111, Christian Helsel p-ss 4134, Josh Adams 2b 4020, Jordan Sneed 1b 2200, Mason Hershey c 3011, Will Snyder 3b 0000, Tyler Sweeney dh, 3000, Matt McDonald rf 3110, Keith Katowski lf 3121, Jordan Novosel cf 2220. TOTALS: 27 8 12 7.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 010 301 2 – 7 10 1
Altoona 003 004 1 – 8 12 0
Errors – Danver. DP – Clearfield 2 (Herrington, Campman and Bookhamer 2); Altoona 1 (Novosel and Adams). LOB – Clearfield 8; Altoona 6. 2B – Campman 2, Hoffman. 3B – St. Clair; Helsel 2. Sac – Butler 2, Hoffman; Sweeney. SB – Campman.
Pitching
Clearfield – Moyer 6-1/3 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 3 K.
Altoona – Helsel 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K; Smithmyer 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
WP – Moyer 1.
W – Smithmyer (3-0). L – Moyer (1-3).
