Clarion Little League: Week Three Recap (05/08/2018)

(By CSZ Sports Writer Kenn Staub)  Clarion Little League (CLL) had a full slate of games scheduled for last week (April 30-May 4), including the first Friday night doubleheader of the 2018 season. As too often has been the case this spring, however, the week’s schedule was rendered somewhat irrelevant with weather forcing the rescheduling of Thursday’s (May 3) and Friday’s (May 4) contests. As a result Saturday (May 5) saw the third triple header of the year.

Monday, April 30: Rotary 13 – SMI 3

Rotary (Away) scored three runs in the top of the first, with SMI (Home) plating two in the bottom half of the frame. This 3-2 score was as close as the game would ever be. Rotary tallied four in the second but SMI was unable to respond, giving the home team a 7-2 advantage. The Rotarians extended their lead in the third, scoring another four to go up 11-2. SMI mustered a run in the bottom of the third, their last of the contest, as Rotary added single runs in the fourth and fifth to set the final at 13-3 in a mercy rule shortened game.

Bryce Brinkley went 3-for-4 for Rotary, hitting two singles and a triple. He was credited with two RBI. Tommy Smith was 2-for-4, with a double and triple. Smith also had two RBI.

Dauntae Girvan and Brayden Murray had multi-hit games for SMI. Girvan hit two doubles and an RBI, while Murray knocked a home run and single and had two RBI.

Tuesday, May 1: Lions 10 – Pizza Pub 4

Lions (Away) scored single runs in each of the first three innings, with Pizza Pub (Home) putting two on the board in the bottom of the third to make the score 3-2. It was all Lions in the fourth, as they added four unanswered runs to go up 7-2. After a scoreless fifth, Lions tallied three in the top of the sixth and Pub plated two in the bottom to make the final 10-4.

Jake Smith had a double and triple for Lions. Gabe Simko went yard and poked a single. Mason Gourley and Brady Pierce had two singles apiece. Nathan Frederick and Briggs Beckwith each hit a single. Pierce was credited with three RBI, Smith and Simko two, and Gourley and Braylon Beckwith one. Gourley, Pierce, and Simko all stole a base.

Simko started on the mound for Lions, pitching five and two-third innings and striking out eleven. Pierce pitched the final two-thirds of an inning, fanning one.

Matt Alston had the big bat for SMI, hitting two singles and a home run. He drove in two runs. Tanner and Parker Miller each singled.

Matt Alston pitched the opening one and a third inning for Pub, striking out two. Tanner Miller pitched the next three, sitting down five via the strike out. Nick Aaron closed out the game, striking out four in one and two-thirds of an inning.

Wednesday, May 2: Burns & Burns 12 – Delta 6

CLL president Brian Smail described Burns & Burns (Away) victory over Delta (Home) as “explosive”. Burns opened up an 8-3 lead in the first two innings. After holding Burns scoreless in the top of the third, Delta plated two in the bottom of the inning to make the score 8-5. Following a scoreless fourth, each team added a run in the fifth. Burns pulled away in the final inning, scoring three unanswered to set the final at 12-6.

Derek Smail hit two home runs for Burns and his brother Dawson poked one. Additionally, each brother had a double and was credited with three RBI apiece. Dylan Smail had two doubles and a RBI. Ty Rankin and Devon Lauer both had doubles, with Rankin receiving credit for two RBI and Lauer one. Kothan Smith stroked a single.

Delta’s Jesse Siewicki, Jase Ferguson, and Kaden Ferguson all notched triples. Siewicki also had a single. Logan Lutz doubled and Jayden Siewicki singled. Jesse Siewicki, Ferguson, and Lutz drove in runs.

Saturday, May 5 (GAME 1): Lions 7 – SMI 2

SMI (Away) held a 2-0 lead over Lions (Home) heading into the bottom of the fourth. Then, in a reversal of fortune, Lions scored three in the fourth and added four in the fifth while shutting out SMI over the last two frames to prevail 7-2.

SMI was limited to two hits, a double by Brayden Murray and single by Jack Craig. Craig and Ben Aaron each collected an RBI.

Murray pitched the opening three and a third for SMI, striking out nine. Craig completed the game, striking out 3 in an inning and two-thirds.

Gabe Simko had a multi-hit game for Lions, homering and singling. Brady Pierce doubled, while Jake Smith, Mason Gourley, and Hayden Weber singled. Simko, Gourley, and Pierce had two RBI apiece. Pierce stole two bases, with Simko and Jake Smith swiping one.

Smith got the start for Lions, going four and two-thirds innings and striking out three. Pierce pitched an inning and a third in relief, fanning one.

Saturday, May 5 (GAME 2): Delta 13 – Rotary 10

In a game that wasn’t hurting for offense, Delta (Away) handed Rotary (Home) their first loss of the season, with the middle innings proving decisive. The teams were tied 2-2 after the first inning and then held each other scoreless in the second. Delta pulled away in the third and fourth, plating three runs while silencing Rotary to take a 5-2 lead. Both teams scored four runs in the fifth and sixth to set the final at 13-10 in Delta’s favor.

Delta’s Jase Ferguson finished a home run short of the cycle, hitting a single, double, and triple. He drove in six of Delta’s thirteen runs. Logan Lutz finished with a double, two singles, and two RBI. Jesse and Jayden Siewicki each knocked three singles. Jayden was credited with two RBI and Jesse one. Jimmy Kerr and Hunter Lechner singled.

Like Ferguson, Rotary’s Tommy Smith also fell a home run short of the cycle. His single, double, and triple accounted for four RBI. Owen Kriebel singled and tripled, Brady Walker singled and doubled, and Liam Huwar singled. Kriebel and Huwar each had two RBI.

Saturday, May 5 (GAME 3): Burns & Burns 5 – Pizza Pub 1

Burns & Burns (Home) jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning, which was all they would need to secure victory. Pizza Pub (Away) would tally their only run in the top of the third, a marker which was matched by Burns in the bottom to give them a 3-1 advantage. Both teams would go scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Burns would add another two, sealing their 5-1 win

Nick Aaron, Kohen Kemmer, Parker Miller, and Tanner Miller all singled for Pub.

Devon Lauer had two singles for Burns. Dawson Smail hit a triple, Burns’s only extra base hit, with Derek Smail and Kothan Smith rapping singles. Dawson and Dylan Smail each had an RBI.

(thanks to Brian Smail for the information)