CLEARFIELD — The Clearfield American Legion baseball team turned on the power and averted elimination from the Central Penn League Playoffs with a 10-0 Mercy Rule win over DuBois at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Sunday evening.
The Chiefs backed Will Myers’ five-hit pitching by raking three DuBois hurlers for 14 hits, tying their season high.
Nine were doubles, very likely a Post 6 team record, with Justin Fedder socking three and Thayne Morgan belting two.
Josh Sorbera matched Fedder’s three hits, one a two-bagger, and drove in three runs.
Ty Bender and Reese Wilson contributed a double and a single apiece.
Morgan and Jake Sorbera each had two RBIs.
The Chiefs batted around against Eric Schneider in the first inning to stake Myers to a 4-0 lead.
Josh Sorbera singled for the first two runs. Later, Jake Sorbera and Wilson came through in bases-loaded situations with a sacrifice fly and sharp single to left, respectively.
Peter Foradora relieved and held Clearfield (14-7) to one run over the next three frames, Bender’s single and Jake Sorbera’s double to right center making it 5-0 in the third.
The Chiefs continued their hard hitting against Foradora and Braden Paulinellie in the fifth inning, four long doubles around two walks and a single producing five runs for the early finish.
Jake Sorbera walked and had to stop at third base when Wilson’s blast to right center hopped over the fence. Morgan and Fedder followed with long doubles to left center to chase Foradora.
With Paulinellie on the mound, Josh Sorbera bounced a single into center field, pinch-hitter Wyatt Porter received a free pass and Bender hammered his double to deep left center to make it a walk-off victory.
Myers struck out five and walked four in notching his first win.
Batterymate Josh Sorbera gave him some help in the first three innings by throwing out two would-be base stealers and picking off a runner at first base.
The Chiefs will go to Beech Creek (13-3) Monday for the elimination bracket semifinal.
State College (13-4) knocked off the regular-season champion Crickets 6-3 in the winner’s bracket final Sunday afternoon and will meet the Clearfield-Beech Creek survivor Tuesday evening.
DUBOIS — 0
Brandon Paulinellie ss-p 2010, Drew Bankovich rf 3010, Adam Bankovich c 3000, Ryan Pasternak dh 2000, Justin Miknis 2b-ss 2020, Daron Walker 1b-3b 2000, Jackson Frank lf-cf 0000, Peter Foradora 3b-p 1000, Brendon Foley 2b 1000, Mitchell Ferra cf 2010, Ethan Long lf 0000. TOTALS: 17 0 5 0.
CLEARFIELD — 10
Thayne Morgan ss 3222, Justin Fedder 2b 4231, Josh Sorbera c 4233, Zane Morgan lf 3000, Wyatt Porter ph 0000, Ty Bender rf 4221, Jarrit Wagner dh 2010, Jake Sorbera 3b 1012, Brandon Orsich 1b 2000, Reese Wilson cf 3121. TOTALS: 26 14 14 10.
Score by Innings
DuBois     000 00 –  0   5 3
Clearfield 401 05 – 10 14 0
E – Pasternak, Frank, Ferra. DP – DuBois 1 (D. Bankovich and Paulinellie). LOB – DuBois 7; Clearfield 8. 2B – Miknis; T. Morgan 2, Fedder 3, Jo. Sorbera, Bender, Ja. Sorbera, Wilson. Sac – Wagner. SF – Ja. Sorbera. CS – D. Bankovich (by Jo. Sorbera); Foradora (by Jo. Sorbera). PO – Frank (by Jo. Sorbera).
Pitching
DuBois – Eric Schneider 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Foradora 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; Paulinellie 0 IP (faced 3 batters in 7th), 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Will Myers 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K.
W – Myers (1-1). L – Schneider.
Umpires – Dave Urbanick (plate) and Scott Viehdorfer (bases).
