Big sixth inning propels Clarion to win over SMA
A big eight-run top of the sixth – with all the runs being scored with two outs – propelled the Clarion Area Bobcats to an 11-5 win over the St. Marys Area Flying Dutchmen on Saturday afternoon at Berwind Park.
St. Marys took an early lead against the defending PIAA 1A baseball state champs in Saturday's game, only for Clarion to tie things up at 3-all with two runs in the top of the second and one more in the top of the third. St. Marys retook the lead with a run in the bottom of the third and then added another in the bottom of the fourth. That 5-3 lead held until Clarion's big top of the sixth, which included a grand slam by Hayden Weber.
Tysen Beimel, Ben Reynolds, and Mason Nicklas all spent time on the mound for the Dutchmen. Beimel worked the first three innings, giving up three hits, walking three, and striking out one. Reynolds took over for two and two thirds innings, giving up two hits, walking five, and striking out one. Nicklas worked the final one and one third innings, giving up two hits, walking one, and striking out two.
Tanner Miller and Daunte Girvan split time on the mound for Clarion. Miller worked the first four innings, giving up five hits, walking four, and striking out two. Girvan took over for the final three innings, giving up one hit and walking one.
Clarion put a pair of runners on base with two outs in the top of the first as Noah Harrison and Derek Smail drew back-to-back walks, but a fielder's choice resulted in the third out and kept the Bobcats off of the board.
Reynolds drew a walk to lead off the home half of the inning, and then Beimel singled to join him on base. Lucas Bauer followed that up with a single, with Reynolds scoring on an error on the play. A groundout by Jackson Vollmer scored Beimel, and then Bauer scored as Cameron Coudriet reached base on an error. A popout and a flyout ended the inning with St. Marys leading 3-0.
Clarion got two of the runs back in the top of the second. Devon Lauer led off with a double to center, and then Matt Alston walked to join him on base. Girvan reached on an error, with Lauer scoring, and then Alston scored on a groundout by Weber, trimming St. Marys' lead to 3-2.
In the bottom of the inning, Reynolds and Beimel drew back-toback two-out walks, but a fielder's choice ended the inning without the Dutchmen being able to score any runs.
Harrison led off the top of the third with a double for Clarion and then courtesy runner Dylan Smail scored as Miller reached on an error with one out, knotting the score at 3-all. Lauer singled to join Miller on base, but a popout and a flyout prevented Clarion from taking the lead.
The Dutchmen pulled back in front in the home half of the inning.
With two outs, Ben Paul walked and then advanced to second on an error with Carter Redmond at bat. Redmond ended up reaching base on an error, moving Paul to third to put runners on the corners. A single by Louis Nedzinski scored Paul, putting St. Marys ahead 4-3. A fielder's choice ended the inning.
Reynolds took over on the mound for St. Marys in the top of the fourth. While he issued a one-out walk to Dawson Smail, a lineout and a flyout kept the Bobcats from putting any runs on the scoreboard.
St. Marys scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the inning.
Reynolds led off with a double to center, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then scored as Beimel reached on an error, making the score 5-3.
Both teams were able to get runners on base in the fifth, but neither could get any momentum going.
The top of the sixth started out with a popout and a groundout for the Bobcats, but then Bryce Brinkley singled to give Clarion a base runner. Harrison walked, and then a single by Derek Smail scored Brinkley to once again make it a one-run ballgame, 5-4. Miller walked, loading the bases, and then St. Marys made a pitching change, with Nicklas taking over on the mound. A fielding error on a fly ball hit to left field by Lauer resulted in Harrison, Smail, and
Miller all scoring, giving Clarion their first lead of the game, 7-5.
Alston followed that up by drawing a walk, and Girvan reached base on a dropped third strike – reloading the bases for Clarion. That brought up Weber, who hit a grand slam over the left field fence to extend Clarion's lead to 11-5 before a fly ball to center finally resulted in the third out.
Reynolds singled with one out in the home half of the inning but was left stranded.
Both teams left a runner on base in the seventh, and Clarion left with the 11-5 victory.
The Dutchmen (1-3) are scheduled to be off until Friday when they take on Elk County Catholic in a 4:30 p.m. game at Berwind Park.
Clarion 11
Dawson Smail 4-0-0, Bryce Brinkley 5-1-1, Noah Harrison 3-1-1, Derek Smail 4-1-2, Tanner Miller 3-1-0, Devon Lauer 4-2-2, Matt Alston 1-2-0, Daunte Girvan 4-0-0, Hayden Weber 4-1-1. Totals 3211-7.
St. Marys 5
Ben Reynolds 2-22, Tysen Beimel 3-11, Lucas Bauer 4-1-1, Jackson Vollmer 3-01, Ben Porkolab 1-00, Cameron Coudriet 4-0-0, Ben Paul 2-1-0, Mason Nicklas 0-0-0, Carter Redmond 4-0-0, Louis Nedzinski 3-0-1, Cayden Vogt 3-0-0. Totals 29-5-6.
Score by innings R
Clarion 021 008 0 11 SMAHS 301 100 0 5