Clarion 9-10 All-Stars Suffer First Loss (07/05/14)
(By Clarion Manager Scott DiTullio)
The Clarion 9/10 All-Star team traveled to Franklin on July 1st, suffering a loss in 7 innings of great baseball play. Franklin took the lead in the second inning scoring one run, but Clarion battled back to score two runs in the fourth as Chase Kriebel singled to start the inning. Noah DiTullio walked, Brady Fowkes moved DiTullio to third, and Bryson Huwar made it to first on an error, as DiTullio scored and Fowkes moved to third. Corbin Coulson singles up the middle scoring Fowkes. Score after 3 ½ innings: Clarion 2 – Franklin 1. The fifth inning was scoreless from both sides.
Clarion’s defense and pitching by Chase Kriebel held strong through five innings. In the bottom of the 6th Franklin came up big with four hits and scored one run to tie the game. In the seventh inning, Ryan Hummell led off the inning with a double for Clarion. Hummell moved to third with a fielder’s choice from Christian Simko and scores on a single by Kriebel as Clarion takes the lead 3 to 2. Franklin comes to bat in the bottom of the seventh and Clarion gets a quick out, then Guth ripped a double to the leftfield wall. Clarion collects another out on a strike and Burkhart takes a ball deep to the wall scoring Guth and getting a double. Guth steals third. In an attempt to create a force out, I decide to intentionally walk the next batter who had made some solid contact during each at bat, to face a batter who was a victim of strikeouts from the Clarion pitchers. With a successful intentional walk, the Clarion Defense forgot about the man on third and Guth steals home, Franklin wins the game 4-3.
The Clarion offense made solid contact, but didn’t find the gaps in tonight’s game. Hitting highlights for Clarion: Kriebel – 2 singles and 1 double; Lapinto – 2 doubles; Fowkes – 1 single; Huwar – 1 single; Coulson – 2 singles; and Hummell – 1 double for a total of ten hits. Clarion held Franklin to seven hits.
Box Score 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total
Clarion 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3
Franklin 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 4
The Clarion 9/10’s will face Butler Twp. today, July 5th in Clarion for an 8:00PM start. We hope to see all the Clarion Fans at the game.
(Thanks to Coach DiTullio for this article.)