CLEARFIELD — No-hit through four innings, the Clearfield American Legion baseball team put up three-spots in the fifth and sixth frames to overtake Punxsutawney/Brookville for a 6-4 victory in the Jefferson County League regular season finale at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Monday evening.
With the championship playoffs scheduled to start Thursday, the two teams agreed to cancel their make-up game booked for Tuesday, Punxsutawney/Brookville reigns at 9-2.
The Chiefs, who received two forfeits from DuBois Sunday, finished 7-3 and will be the No. 2 seed for the postseason.
They gained some momentum with their comeback win that began with a one-out walk to Seth Bumbarger and a misplay on Allan Myers’ potential double-play grounder.
After Hayden Williams lined a single over short to load the bases, Jake Sorbera lofted a sacrifice fly to right for the first run before Harrison Peacock blasted a double to straightaway center field for a two runs.
Logan Johnston stranded two runners with his second strikeout, but he couldn’t hold off the Chiefs in the sixth inning.
Nate Barr drew the losing hurler’s third walk, sprinted to third on Bryce Timko’s line single to right center and scored the tying run on a forceout by Myers.
Williams then came through with the game-winning hit, a double over the left fielder’s head that sent Myers chugging around the sacks. Sorbera drove in the insurance run with a double to center.
Clearfield (14-6) could do nothing against Isaac Stouffer, who struck out three. He would have been perfect had he not dropped a pop-up.
The visitors got to Sorbera for three runs in the first inning.
Two walks and a bunt single by Joey Dipietro had runners at every station with no outs. Tanner LaBenne’s groundout chased home one run, and Johnston singled through the left side for two RBIs.
Seth Dunkle singled, stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Dipietro’s sharp single through the hole on the left side to make it 4-0 in the third frame.
That was all for the regular season champs, though.
No runner touched second as Timko and Reese Wilson matched two scoreless innings.
They allowed one hit and one walk apiece, with Timko striking out three and Wilson fanning two to earn his second win in three decisions.
Both teams will be at home Thursday, Clearfield against DuBois at the LTRP diamond and Punxsutawney/Brookville against Curwensville in 6 p.m. starts.
The double-elimination tourney will continue through the weekend.
Jefferson County League Final Standings — Punxsutawney/Brookville 9-2, Clearfield 7-3, DuBois 5-7, Curwensville 1-10.
PUNXSUTAWNEY/BROOKVILLE — 4
Seth Dunkle ss-p 3210, Isaac Stouffer p-3b-ss 2110, Joey Dipietro c 3121, Tanner LaBenne 1b 3001, Logan Johnston 3b-p-3b 2012, Cole LaBenne cf 3000, Alec Greenblatt 2b 3000, Dane Lyle 3h 2010, Chase Palmer rf-lf 2000, Ethan Lainey rf 1000. TOTALS: 26 4 7 4.
CLEARFIELD — 6
Reese Wilson cf-p 3000, Nate Barr ss 2100, Bryce Timko rf-p-rf 3010, Seth Bumbarger 1b 2100, Allan Myers c 3201, Hayden Williams 2b 3221, Jake Sorbera p-lf 2012, Harrison Peacock 3b 3012, Alec Graham lf-rf-cf 2000, Hunter Dixon eh 1000. TOTALS: 24 6 5 6.
Score by Innings
Punxsutawney/Brookville 301 000 0 – 4 7 3
Clearfield                           000 033 x – 6 5 0
E – Dunkle, Stouffer, Lainey. DP – Punxsutawney/Brookville 1 (Johnston, Greenblatt and T. LaBenne). LOB – Punxsutawney/Brookville 6; Clearfield 4. 2B – Williams, Sorbera, Peacock. SF – Sorbera. SB – Dunkle 2. CS – Lyle (by Myers).
Pitching
Punxsutawney/Brookville – Stouffer 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K; Johnston 1-2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Dunkle 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Sorbera 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; Timko 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; Wilson 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
WP – Sorbera 2.
W – Wilson (2-1). L – Johnston.
Umpires – Jerry Neal (plate) and Sam Bevak (bases).
