STATE COLLEGE — A chance to vie for fourth place and home field for the first round of the Central Penn League Championship Playoffs was on the line for the Clearfield American Legion Post 6 baseball team Monday night, but the Chiefs came up short against State College at the Shaner Complex.
Run-scoring singles by Kent Graham and Zach Ripka put State College ahead 3-1 in the second inning, and Tristan Ballenger gave up only one more run for a 5-2 victory.
The Chiefs (9-10, 7-8 CPL) will return to the Shaner Complex Friday for their playoff opener if they finish in fifth place.
They’ll close the regular season with a home game against DuBois at the Lawrence Township Recreation Park Field Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Zach Timchak had two of the five hits allowed by Ballanger, who fanned 12 Chiefs, walked three and hit one.
Sawyer Rowles scored both runs for Clearfield.
He walked, stole second and came around on Brandon Orsich’s single to give the Chiefs a short-lived 1-0 edge in the first inning.
Following another free pass in the sixth frame, Rowles circled the sacks on two wild pitches by Ballenger.
For State College, Graham had a pair of RBI singles while Calvin Sichler and Zach Rikpka also had two hits apiece.
Orsich yielded nine hits in a route-going effort. He had one strikeout with one walk and two hit batsmen.
CLEARFIELD — 2
Logan Puit lf 3000, Sawyer Rowles cf 1200, Curt Collins 2b 3000, Cole Kephart ss 1000, Brandon Orsich p 3011, Josh Sorbera c 3000, Josh Kennedy 3b 3010, Zach Timchak rf 3020, Logan Lykens 1b 3010, Jake Sorbera eh 3000. TOTALS: 26 2 5 1.
STATE COLLEGE — 5
John Bergman c 3000, Tyler Hall 2b 3000, Calvin Sichler ss 3220, Kenny Craig 2b 2011, Chris Boal 3b 3111, Dalton Barger cf 2110, Sean O’Melia lf 1000, Josh Gardner ph 1000, Brent Graham dh 3122, Oliver Daily rf 2000, Zach Ripka eh 2021. TOTALS: 24 5 9 5.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 100 001 0 – 2 5 1
State College 121 001 x – 5 9 0
E – Lykens. DP – Clearfield 1 (Orsich, Josh Sorbera and Lykens); LOB – Clearfield 7; State College 5. 3B – Boal. Sac – O’Melia, Daily. SB – Rowles; Sichler.
Pitching
Clearfield – Orsich 6 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
State College – Tristan Ballenger 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 12 K.
HB – Orsich 2 (Craig, Barger); Ballenger 1 (Kephart).
W – Ballenger. L – Orsich (3-4).