HYDE – After climbing all the way out of a 6-0 hole with a fifth inning rally and then falling behind again, the Clearfield Chiefs came up with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out an 8-7 victory over DuBois in Jefferson County Legion League make-up action at the Bison Sports Complex Tuesday evening.
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Winning pitcher Wes McGarry drew a walk from DuBois reliever Sean Sleigh and Tyler Jacobson pounded an opposite-field double to deep left one out later to put the Chiefs in position to hand the regular season champions only their second loss of the season.
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After Shane Harper lifted a sacrifice fly to right center to knot the score, Cole Kephart rapped a sharp grounder that third baseman Garret Peterson couldn’t backhand as Jacobson sprinted to the plate with the winning run.
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Two bouncers in the right spots triggered Clearfield’s big inning.
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Cole Kephart’s made it into center and Jordan Lancaster’s one-hopper was deflected by Cody Gulvas but the DuBois starter couldn’t make a play.
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Gulvas then plunked Kyler Kephart with a two-strike breaking pitch to load the sacks.
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Derek Danver, who had four consecutive hits, singled through the left side for one run, Andrew Redden and McGarry followed with line drive doubles for two RBIs apiece and, after one out, Jacobson sliced a two-bagger to left center to get the Chiefs even.
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DuBois regained the lead, 7-6, on Sleigh’s double and two groundouts in the sixth inning.
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The visitors had registered eight of their 11 hits off McGarry in the middle three frames to build their 6-0 bulge.
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The southpaw fanned two and walked two in his team-high third win.
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Clearfield, 10-12-1 for the season, is destined to finish in third place at 9-6 with one game remaining.
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The Chiefs will welcome runner-up Punxsutawney to the Bison Sports Complex Thursday evening.
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The two teams will meet again Tuesday at Punxsy in the first round of the JCL Playoffs.
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DUBOIS — 7
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Nate Liddle ss 4121, Sean Sleigh lf-p 4221, Garret Peterson 3b 4011, Derek Clark c 4011, Matt Zimmerman cf 4120, Jon Palumbo 2b 3000, Darren McKee 2b 1000, Adam Young 1b 2111, John Georgino 1b 1010, Devon Walker rf-lf 4110, Cody Gulvas p-rf 1000, Mark Walker dh-lf 2101. TOTALS: 34 7 11 6.
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CLEARFIELD — 8
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Kyler Kephart 1b 3100, Derek Danver ss 4141, Andrew Redden c 4112, Wes McGarry p 3232, Steve Miller lf-rf 4000, Tyler Jacobson 3b 4121, Shane Harper 3001, Cole Kephart 2b 4110, Jordan Lancaster rf-lf 3110. TOTALS: 32 8 12 7.
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Score by Innings
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DuBois     003 211 0 – 7 11 1
Clearfield  000 060 2 – 8 12 3
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Errors – Peterson; Danver, C. Kephart, Lancaster. PB – Redden 1. DP – Clearfield 1 (C. Kephart, Danver and K. Kephart). LOB – DuBois 8; Clearfield 7. 2B – Sleigh, Peterson, D. Walker; Danver, Redden, McGarry, Jacobson 2. SF – Harper. SB – Zimmerman.
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Pitching
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DuBois – Gulvas 4-1/3 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Sleigh 2-1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
Clearfield – McGarry 7 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.
HB – Gulvas 1 (K. Kephart).
W – McGarry (3-1). L – Sleigh.
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Umpires – Jim McKee (plate) and Mike Norris (bases).
