High School Baseball Roundup: John Matthews Sets Punxsutawney Career Strikeout Mark

Tuesday’s high school baseball recaps.

PUNXSUTAWNEY 9, ST. MARYS 0

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Punxsutawney’s John Matthews struck out nine St. Marys’ batters in five innings to become the all-time strikeout king for the Chucks in a 9-0 win over the visiting Dutch.

Matthews allowed just one hit and a walk while recording the nine whiffs giving him 181 in his career. He was the winning pitcher and was backed by strong offensive days from Braxton Giavedoni and Lance Pennington.

Giavedoni was 2-for-3 with a triple and a double while scoring two runs out of the leadoff spot, while Pennington hit a home run and was 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Matthews helped himself as well going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Brandon Matthews and Giavedoni each pitched a scoreless inning of relief with Brandon Matthews allowing one hit while striking out two and Giavedoni giving up two hits while striking out one.

Jesse McKee had a double for St. Marys, the Dutch’s lone extra-base hit.

Nate Beimel took the loss going four innings allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits.

CLEARFIELD, 4, DUBOIS 1

CLEARFIELD, Pa. – A four-run first inning was backstopped by a strong pitching performance from Brandon Orsich, as Clearfield downed visiting DuBois, 4-1.

Orsich, who moved to 6-1 on the season, allowed one run on six hits in getting the complete-game win. He struck out five and lowered his ERA to 1.25 (10 earned run in 56 innings pitched). He has seven complete games in eight starts and the one game he didn’t get a complete game he pitched seven innings but the game went to extra innings.

All four Bison runs came in the first inning including Noah Schneider walking Will Myers and Eli Glass with the bases loaded. Ty Bender added a sac fly and another run scored when the Beavers misplayed a Logan Lykens single.

Lykens had two hits for Clearfield as did Thayne Morgan.

Zach Sloan had a pair of hits for DuBois, including a double, while Adam Bankovich had two singles.

The Beavers run came in the third inning when Sloan doubled and scored on a Nick LaBrasca single.

Schneider took the loss lasting just a ⅓ of an inning and being charged with all four runs, three earned, on one hit and three walks.

Sloan came in and pitched well in relief for DuBois allowing four hits and two walks while striking out three in 5 ⅔ innings of scoreless relief.

CURWENSVILLE 3, BROCKWAY 2, 8 INNINGS

CURWENSVILLE, Pa. – Hunter Lancaster scored the game-winning run when Josh Terry reached on an error in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Curwensville topped Brockway, 3-2.

The game had been tied at two since the third before Lancaster walked leading off the eighth and went to third on a bunt single by Garrett Shaw, who went to second on the throw to third. Brockway then intentionally walked Austin Butlin bringing up Terry, whose grounder to third baseman Braden Martini was misplayed.

R.J. Olson, Curwensville’s third pitcher, got the win going one scoreless inning of relief walking one and striking out one.

Noah Strickland started and gave up two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two in 3 ⅓ innings of work. Bryce Timko threw 3 ⅔ scoreless innings allowing a hit and five walks but striking out six.

Timko also led the Golden Tide’s offense going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jake Terry also had an RBI and was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Hunter Antonuccio was 3-for-4 with a walk to pace Brockway.

Corey Carr started and was good going seven innings allowing two runs on five hits and five walks while striking out seven. Alex Lindemuth took the loss allowing two walks and a hit and an unearned run while not recording an out in the eighth.

CLARION-LIMESTONE 18, FOREST AREA 2, 4 INNINGS

MARIENVILLE, Pa. – Christian Smith drove in four runs to pace an 18-run outburst for Clarion-Limestone in an 18-2 road win over Forest Area at East Forest.

Smith was 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs scored for the Lions, who also got a triple, a run scored and two RBIs from Brady Himes, two RBIs, a hit and two runs scored from Colby Himes, three runs scored, a hit, an RBI and two walks from Drew Beichner and two runs scored, a hit, two walks and an RBI from Riley Hummell.

Taylor and Christian Smith split the pitching duties with Christian getting the win in relief of older brother Taylor. He went two innings allowing two runs, one earned, on one hit and two walks while striking out five. Taylor started and threw two scoreless innings allowing a hit and striking out two.

Kyle Evans and Tony Ruffner had Forest Area’s RBIs with Ruffner going 1-for-2. Dave Nagele and Austin Johnino each scored runs, while Andrew Schwab had the other hit for the Fires.

Ruffner took the loss allowing 12 runs on four hits and nine walks in an inning of work. In all, Forest pitchers walked 19 with Manny Tirado walking five in two innings of work – he allowed two runs on one hit while striking out two – and Chris Pederson walking five in one inning – he allowed one hit and four runs, two earned.