Cincinnati-Clermont rallied past Penn State DuBois Wednesday
A five-run top of the fifth gave the Cincinnati-Clermont team a 10-6 win over Penn State DuBois on Wednesday night and advanced CincinnatiClermont to the championship game as the undefeated team.
Penn State DuBois got on the board first with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, only for Cincinnati-Clermont to answer with their first five in the top of the second. Three more runs in the bottom of the third put Penn State DuBois back on top 6-5, but the PSUD squad had no answer for Cincinnati-Clermont’s five-run top of the fifth.
Three pitchers saw action on the mound for Penn State DuBois. Maclain Welshans started the game and worked the first two innings, giving up four hits, walking three, and striking out one. Jake Sikora took over for the next three innings, giving up six hits, walking three, and striking out three. Jeff Romano worked the final two innings, giving up one hit, walking two, and striking out four.
Cincinnati-Clermont used two pitchers in the game. Matt Peer worked the first two and one third innings, giving up seven hits, walking three, and striking out two. Liam Morgenroth worked the final four and two thirds innings, giving up two hits, walking four, and striking out seven.
Cincinnati-Clermont got the first base runner of the game as Grant Gillespie walked with two outs in the top of the opening inning, but a popout left him stranded.
Penn State DuBois started the game off strong as Colby Bodtorf led off with a double to right center. Kyle Elensky joined Bodtorf on base as a fielding error put runners on the corners. A single by Grant Lillard scored Bodtorf for the game’s first run. Nick Cagliola entered the game to pinch run for Lillard. A single by Tyler Yough loaded the bases. Following a popout, Brett Beith drew a walk, scoring Elensky and keeping the bases loaded. A sacrifice fly by Jake Sikora scored Cagliola, making the score 3-0.
Bryce Rayner led off the top of the second with a single up the middle for Cincinnati-Clermont, and then Jackson Roseburrough singled through the left side to join him on base. Dylan Leytze hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Roseburrough at second for the first out. Dominic Wilson then hit into another fielder’s choice, erasing Leytze at second but allowing Rayner
to score. Austin Heffner walked, and then a double by Jack Deeds scored Heffner and moved Wilson to third. Bubba Allen followed that up with a walk to load the bases, with Brady Bushman entering as a pinch runner. With Gillespie at bat, a balk advanced everyone a base, giving Heffner a free pass home. Gillespie then singled to right center, scoring both Bushman and Deeds to give Cincinnati-Clermont a 5-3 lead.
Bodtorf hit a two-out single for Penn State
DuBois in the bottom of the inning but was left stranded.
Rayner led off the top of the third with a single for Cincinnati-Clermont, but a fielder’s choice and a double play prevented the team from adding to their lead.
Lillard led off the home half of the inning with a single up the middle, and Cagliola once again entered to run. A triple by Yough scored Cagliola to cut Cincinnati-Clermont’s lead to 5-4.
With one out, Beith and Sikora drew backto-back walks to load the bases, and then a single to left by Bryce Dobson scored both Beith and Yough to put Penn State DuBois back in front 6-5.
Neither team was able to get anything going in the fourth, and then CincinnatiClermont took the lead for good in the fifth.
With two outs, a double and a pair of walks loaded the bases. A single up the middle by Heffner scored
a pair of runs, Deeds singled to left center to score another, and then the final two runs came on a double to right center by Allen, making the score 10-6 in favor of CincinnatiClermont.
Penn State DuBois was unable to answer in the bottom of the inning.
Cincinnati-Clermont left a runner stranded in the top of the sixth, while Penn State DuBois left the bases loaded in the home half of the inning.
Cincinnati-Clermont left two runners on base in the top of the seventh. Beith drew a leadoff walk for Penn State DuBois in the bottom of the seventh, but a strikeout and a double play ended the game, with Cincinnati-Clermont taking the 10-6 win.
Penn State DuBois next faced Florida National in a 2:30 p.m. game Thursday as they tried to battle back to reach the championship game.