BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – Parker Miller drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Clarion rallied past DuBois, 19-18, in the championship game of the Section 1 10-and-under Little League Tournament at Brookville.
(Photo courtesy of Pat Craig)
Clarion, which would have been forced to play a winner-take-all game if it had lost, is headed to the Pennsylvania State Tournament after rallying from an 18-14 deficit heading to its final at bat.
But seven walks and a hit helped Clarion to the victory.
A bases loaded walk to Casey Kemmer made it 18-15, a wild pitch brought home Liam Huwar to make it 18-16, and bases loaded walks to Eli Nellis and Paul Craig tied the game.
Clarion actually trailed 17-11 after a five-run fourth inning by DuBois but answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning to get within striking distance.
Runs scored on a bases-loaded walks to Craig and Dylan Smail and a Miller sacrifice play.
DuBois pushed the lead back to four, 18-14, in the fifth inning on a Seth Wilmoth sacrifice fly to right field.
It was a shootout from the start with DuBois taking a 3-0 lead in the top of the first only to see Clarion rally with three in the bottom of the inning.
DuBois’ runs came on an Isaac Dennison single and a two-run Brody Knouse double.
Clarion tied the game thanks to a Craig double, a Huwar single and Kemmer getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
DuBois quickly answered with three more runs in the top of the second thanks to a Wes Clyde two-run single and a Hunter Ho single before Clarion took its first lead with a four-run bottom of the second.
Smail’s RBI single scored the first run of the inning before and error made it 6-5. Ethan Rex then tied the game with an RBI ground out before a Huwar ground out gave Clarion a 7-6 lead.
It was DuBois’ turn to score multiple runs in the top of the third platting five to go up 12-7.
Keegan Gregory had an RBI single in the inning with Wilmoth adding a run-scoring double and Ho and RBI single.
Clarion batted around in the bottom of the inning and scored four times to get within one, 12-11.
Nellis had a two-run single with Craig and Miller adding RBI base hits.
DuBois made it 17-11 with a five-spot in the fourth but a missed bag cost DuBois a sixth run that proved to be big.
Clyde got the scoring started in the inning with an RBI double and Gregory followed with a run scoring single to make it 14-11. A Wilmoth single made it 15-11, and a Ho single pushed the lead to 16-11. An error made it 17-11.
The Pennsylvania State Tournament is set for July 24-30 at the Wellsboro Little League in Wellsboro, Pa.
Clarion will open play against the Section 2 champion at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, on the Front Field.
CLARION 19, DUBOIS 18
Score by Innings
DuBois 336 510 – 18
Clarion 344 305 – 19
DUBOIS – 18
Wes Clyde p/2b 4433, Keegan Gregory 2b/rf 3222, Seth Wilmoth ss 4223, Hunter Ho 3b 4134, Isaac Dennison c 4111, Adam Drahushak 1b 4120, Brody Knouse lf/p 5112, Bryson Kail 4120, Jack Stattler rf/cf 0100, Ryan Woodel rf/p 2310. totals 34-18-16-15.
CLARION – 19
Eli Nellis 2b/p 4533, Paul Craig 1b/c 4434, Dylan Smail ss 5132, Parker Miller c/1b 4114, Ethan Rex p/2b 4211, Liam Huwar cf/c 3112, Carter Hindman 3b 5110, Casey Kemmer 1312, Alex Love rf/3b 3210. Totals 33-20-15-18.
2B: Cldye, Wilmoth, Knouse. Craig, Love. SF: Wilmoth. Miller SB: Wilmoth, Gregory, Ho, Knouse (2). Hindman, Nellis, Miller, Craig (2), Huwar (2), Smail, Kemmer (3), Rex (3).
PITCHING
DUBOIS
Wes Clyde 2 IP, 13 H, 11 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Keegan Gregory 0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
Brody Knouse 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
Bryson Kail 0.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
Ryan Woodel 3.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 8, BB 1 K
CLARION
Ethan Rex 1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 1 K
Eli Nellis 3 IP, 13 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Alex Love 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Winning pitcher: Love
Losing pitcher: Woodel