SPRING MILLS — For the fourth time in just eight days, the Clearfield Area High School baseball team came from behind late to pull out a Mountain League victory, stunning homestanding Penns Valley with three runs in the sixth inning and four in the seventh for a 7-6 win Monday.
It was sweet revenge for the Bison, who finally got to LJ Johnson after the Rams’ senior left-hander had held them to nine hits and one run over 12 innings in less than a week.
Johnson fired a four-hitter in a 5-1 victory at the Bison Sports Complex Wednesday — Clearfield’s only loss in the last 10 games — and was working with a 3-0 lead when the Cardiac Kids came to bat in the sixth frame.
One-out singles by Cole Kephart and Thomas Summers and two-out walks to Will Myers and Brandon Orsich broke up the shutout.
Then, senior first baseman Erik Sellers came through with a clutch single to drive in the tying runs.
Reliever Spencer Herrington couldn’t shut down the Rams, though, as they regained the lead, 6-3, with three runs of their own, aided by three walks and the Bison’s lone error. Wyatt Sharp had an RBI single for the go-ahead run and Logan Marcum had a sacrifice fly.
However, the Bison answered to not only take Herrington off the hook but make him the winning pitcher with another do-or-die rally in the seventh inning.
Josh Sorbera was hit by a pitch, for the fourth game in a row, Herrington drew a walk and Summers singled with one out to load the bases.
Clutch hits by Sawyer Rowles and Myers, whose single was good for two RBIs, knotted the score. Moments later, an error on a pickoff attempt at first base allowed Rowles to score the winning run.
Orsich recorded the first save of his career with a clean inning that included a strikeout.
“Another amazing comeback by our guys,” Clearfield coach Sid Lansberry said. “It’s just hard to explain. Johnson is one of the better pitchers in the league. He pretty much shut us down last week. Tonight, we had 11 hits.”
Rowles paced the Bison with his second three-hit game of the season. Kephart, Summers and Sellers chipped in two apiece.
Sophomore Tommy Hazel pitched five innings in his second start, surrendering nine hits but only three runs. He struck out three and walked.
“He gave us another quality start,” Lansberry said.
Sharp and Kevin Sweeley each had two singles for Penns Valley (5-11, 3-9 ML).
The Bison, at 10-2, remained percentage points behind league leader Central and padded their overall record to 12-3, the most wins in more than a decade.
Clearfield will head down I-80 again Tuesday to play Bellefonte.
Mountain League standings — Central 9-1, Clearfield 10-2, Bellefonte 7-5, Huntingdon 7-5, Philipsburg-Osceola 5-5, Bald Eagle Area 4-7, Penns Valley 3-9, Tyrone 1-12.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Josh Sorbera c 3100, Spencer Herrington ss-p-ss 3110, Cole Kephart 3b 4120, Thomas Summers rf 4220, Sawyer Rowles cf 4131, Will Myers 2b-ss-2b 3112, Tommy Hazel p 0000, Brandon Orsich dh-p 3001, Erik Sellers 1b 2022, Noah Cline lf-2b 1000, Dan Collins ph 1000, Marcus Luzier ph 1000, Jonathan Trimpey lf 1000. TOTALS: 30 7 11 6.
PENNS VALLEY — 6
Chase Collison lf 4110, Hunter Ilgen 1b 0000, Davey Keller dh 4210, Wyatt Sharp rf 4121, L.J. Johnson p 2210, Allen Cain p 0000, Logan Marcum 3b 3012, Colton Treaster c 1000, Kevin Sweeley 2b 4021, Ryan McElwee ss 4010, Corby Woodring cf 4010. TOTALS: 30 6 10 1.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 000 003 4 – 7 11 1
Penns Valley 011 013 0 – 6 10 1
E – Myers; . DP – Clearfield 1 (Myers, Herrington and Sellers); Penns Valley 1 (Sharp and Ilgen). LOB – Clearfield 8; Penns Valley 10. 2B – Collison. SF – Marcum. CS – Sellers (by Treaster).
Pitching
Clearfield – Hazel 5 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Herrington 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K; Orsich 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Penns Valley – Johnson 6-1/3 IP, 11 K, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K; Cain 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 B, 1 K.
HB – Hazel 1 (Treaster); Johnson 2 (Sorbera, Sellers). WP – Herrington 1.
W – Herrington (3-0). L – Johnson. Sv – Orsich (1).
Bison Scoreboard:
Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
3/23 | @ Central | 2 – 0 | 1 – 0 |
3/26 | @ Huntingdon | ppd. | 1 – 0 |
3/27 | @ Huntingdon | 6 – 4 | 2 – 0 |
3/31 | @ Bellefonte | ppd. | 2 – 0 |
4/02 | @ Tyrone | 6 – 1 | 3 – 0 |
4/06 | PUNXSUTAWNEY | 4 – 7, 9 inn. | 3 – 1 |
4/07 | @ Bald Eagle Area | ppd. | 3 – 1 |
4/10 | @ Altoona Curve Classic | ||
4/10 | vs. Central | 0 – 2 | 3 – 2 |
4/11 | @ Altoona Curve Classic | ||
4/11 | vs. Forest Hills | 7 – 3 | 4 – 2 |
4/14 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 6 – 4 | 5 – 2 |
4/15 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 3 – 0 | 6 – 2 |
4/20 | HUNTINGDON | ppd. | 6 – 2 |
4/21 | HUNTINGDON | 4 – 3 | 7 – 2 |
4/23 | BELLEFONTE | ppd. | 7 – 2 |
4/24 | @ Curwensville | 13 – 0 | 8 – 2 |
4/27 | BELLEFONTE | 5 – 4 | 9 – 2 |
4/28 | TYRONE | 3 – 2 | 10 – 2 |
4/29 | PENNS VALLEY | 1 – 5 | 10 – 3 |
5/01 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 6 – 5 | 11 – 3 |
5/04 | @ Penns Valley | 7 – 6 | 12 – 3 |
5/05 | @ Bellefonte | ||
5/07 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | ||
5/11 | CURWENSVILLE | ||
5/14 | BROOKVILLE | ||
5/15 | @ DuBois |