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Senior Cats Shine In Senior Day Sweep (05/15/14)

Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep of East Forest, at Veterans Field at Clarion County Park, marked the Clarion Area Baseball Team’s last regular season action for 2014, and Senior Day. The Bobcats won the first game, 11-1, in six innings and game-two, 21-1, in three innings.

Terrific Trio - Matt Verne, Tanner Corbett and John Katis

Terrific Trio – Matt Verne,
Tanner Corbett and John Katis

And it truly was Senior Day, as the three upperclassmen, Matt Verne, John Katis and Tanner Corbett came through in a very big way.

Let’s start with Matt Verne. He determined was going to finish his last regular season appearance in front of the home fans with a bang!

Make it three bangs. Verne connected for two solo shots in the first game, one leading off the fourth inning and another to lead off the very next inning. He also had a single and scored another run in the sixth. Then to top it off, he had a three run shot in the third inning of the second game, crossing the plate with the final score of the day.

Bobcat Teammates Welcome Matt Verne home after first of three round trippers

Bobcat Teammates Welcome Matt Verne home after first of three round trippers

Check out these stats. In the first game – 3 for 4, 2 homers, a double, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored; second game – 2 for 3, 1 homer, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored; day’s work – 5 for 7, 3 homeruns, 1 double, 7 RBIs, 6 runs scored.

Where Verne was the “Sultan of Swat” for the day, Katis was the “Small Ball Wizard” (apologies to the Babe and the Who).
Katis went 3 for 3, in the first game, including a double and 3 runs scored. In game-two he went 4 for 4, with an RBI and two runs scored. Total on the afternoon: 7 for 7, 1 double, 5 runs scored and an RBI.

Corbett scored a run in the opener but really came alive in the finale, where he went 2 for 4 including a double and a 3-run homer, with 4 RBIs and two runs scored.

Sophomore, Brendan Miller struck out 8, in complete Game-1 victory

Sophomore, Brendan Miller struck out 8, in complete Game-1 victory

East Forest opened the scoring in the first game, with a run in the top of the first. The Bobcats would answer with 4 runs each in the fourth and fifth innings and three runs in the sixth.

Others scoring for the Bobcats, after Verne’s homerun, in the fourth inning of first game were Katis, Thomas Plummer and Taylor Smith. Katis and Smith had singles and Plummer had a double. The same four scored in the fifth inning also.

Brendan Miller threw 8 strikeouts in picking up the complete game victory.

Corbett, Verne and Katis scored the final three runs of the first game.

The Bobcats who officially were the visitors for game two, opened up with 10 runs in the top of the first inning, capped off by Corbett’s three run shot. East Forest followed up with their lone run of the game, in the bottom of the inning.

Thomas Plummer advances to third

Thomas Plummer advances to third

With 3 runs in the second, Clarion moved their lead to 13-1. A highlight of the inning was an RBI double by Derek Lauer.

The Bobcats had eight runners cross the plate, in the third inning to close out the scoring.

Thomas Plummer pitched all three innings for the Bobcats, giving up just the 1 run and only two hits, while striking out six.

Other Bobcats totals included: Plummer with 2 hits, including a double with 2 runs scored, in the first game and a double, an RBI and two runs scored in the second game; Adrian Weber had an RBI in game-one and three runs scored in game two. Taylor Smith had 3 hits, including 2 doubles with an RBI and two runs scored, all in the second game. Leo Aiello had a hit in the first game.

Max Lane went 2 for 2 in the second game, with two RBIs; Caleb Wilson was also 2 for 2 in the nightcap, with 2 RBIs and three runs scored; Brady Raybuck had a double, with 2 RBIs and two runs scored in the second game.

Seniors with their parents (L-R) Matt Sr., Matt Jr., and Kass Verne; Tanner and Terri Corbett; Julie, John and Dave Katis

Seniors with their parents (L-R) Matt Sr., Matt Jr., and Kass Verne; Tanner and Terri Corbett; Julie, John and Dave Katis

Other Bobcat totals from Game 2: Derek Lauer had a double, 2 RBIs and a run scored; Micheal Bartley had a hit and scored a run and Luke Nellis scored twice.

The Bobcats will compete in the District Nine Class-A playoffs next week.

After the game, the Bobcat underclassmen lined up on the 3rd base line as the three seniors and their parents were introduced to the crowd by Coach Rob Jewett. Coach Jewett listed some of their accomplishments and shared some highlights of each of their careers, giving compliments and best wishes to Verne, Katis and Corbett.

Booster Club President, Rich Lane also shared some complimentary words about the seniors. Then the underclassmen filed past the seniors and their parents, shaking hands and exchanging best wishes.

Coaches and Senior Players (L-R) Head Coach Rob Jewett, Coach Ed Kemmer, Tanner Corbett, John Katis, Matt Verne, Coach Lee Weber

Coaches and Senior Players (L-R) Head Coach Rob Jewett, Coach Ed Kemmer, Tanner Corbett, John Katis, Matt Verne, Coach Lee Weber

Vern is the son of Matt and Kass Verne. Corbett is the son of Tim and Terry Corbett and Katis is the son of Dave and Julie Katis.

Congratulations and all the best to the three seniors.