Six-Run Inning Propels Clearfield to First Win of Season

PUNXSUTAWNEY — Despite only one game under their belt on the 2021 season, the Clearfield Bison were anxious to get back to the baseball diamond.  After weather moved a few games a week ago, Clearfield’s season resumed on Monday afternoon on the road against the Punxsutawney Chucks.

But, unlike their season opener, the bats came out heavy, and connected early.  The Bison broke the game open in one inning, managing to hold on and secure their first win of the year, 8-4, over the homestanding Chucks.

It was Punxsutawney that got on the scoreboard first as they scored one run in the bottom of the first inning.  Once the two teams swapped sides of the field, suddenly the Bison were finding home plate on a regular basis.  Starting Chucks’ pitcher, Jake Sikora, only gave up one hit in his time on the mound, however, the problem became that his surrounding cast allowed unearned runs to be the difference.  Clearfield scored first on an error, tying up the game.  Karson Rumsky drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Bison in the lead, and shortly afterwards Morgen Billotte blasted the lone hit given up by Sikora, an RBI-single.

Sikora gave up one more run before being pulled with two outs in the inning.  His 1.2 innings of work drew the loss for the Chucks.

Clearfield added in two more runs in the inning to go up 6-1.  They would add another two runs over the next two innings to give them a seven-run cushion with half the game gone.

Punxsutawney came back with a run in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Zeke Bennett, then cut the gap in half in the fifth inning with a pair of runs.  However, the Bison held on with some solid relief pitching from Rumsky in the final two innings to secure the victory.

For Clearfield, Hunter Dixon earned the victory with a solid five-inning effort, giving up four runs, three earned, and striking out five.

Clearfield (1-1) is back on the diamond Tuesday afternoon, their third-consecutive road game.  This one comes against Mountain League foe Bald Eagle, with first pitch slated for 4:30 p.m.

SCORE BY INNING

Clearfield  061 100 0 – 8 11 2
Punxsutawney  100 120 0 – 4 9 2

CLEARFIELD – 8

Kyle Elensky 5121, Karson Rumsky 4110, Morgen Billotte 4231, Blake Prestash 3110, Hunter Dixon 4031, Ryan Gearhart 3000, Matt Bailor 3011, Shane Coudriet 2100, Ty Troxell 1000, Cole Bloom 2200.  TOTALS 31 8 11 4.

PUNXSUTAWNEY – 4

Isaac London 4110, Peyton Hetrick 4000, Ashton Stonbraker 3110, Carter Savage 4121, Dakota Long 4021, Alex Phillips 4120, Justin Miller 3000, Kameron Falgot 3000, Zeke Bennett 2011.  TOTALS 31 4 9 3.

LOB:  9/10
ER:  Bloom-2/Hetrick, Phillips
ROE:  Elensky/Falgot, Savage
2B:  Billotte, Elensky/Long, Savage
SF:  Bailor/Bennett
FC:  Gearhart, Troxell/London
HBP:  Bloom
SB:  London
GIDP:  Troxell

PITCHING

Clearfield:  Dixon-5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB; Rumsky-2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 SO, 1 BB.

Punxsutawney:  Sikora-1.2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 4 BB; Tyger-3.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 SO, 1 BB; Scarantine-2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB.

W-Dixon (1-1)
L-Sikora