BERWICK, Pa. (EYT) — Scoring six runs in the bottom of the fifth, the Clarion 12-and-under Little League team scored a key opening-round 11-9 win over Ridley Sunday afternoon at the Pennsylvania Little League State Championship Tournament in Berwick.
(Brayden Murray is greeted by teammates after his second-inning home run Sunday. Photo by Diane Lutz)
After jumping out to a 5-0 lead after two innings, the boys in blue found themselves down, 7-5, against the team that won the 11-and-under state championship a year ago going to the bottom of the fifth.
But Clarion used four hits and five walks in the inning to retake the lead.
The first three batters in the fifth all reached with Tommy Smith drawing a leadoff walk followed by a single to center by Nick Aaron that moved Smith to third with Aaron going to second on the throw. Logan Lutz then ran for Aaron, and Devon Lauer walked to load the bases.
Nick Aaron had a key hit in the six-run fifth for Clarion. Photo by Diane Lutz
Ridley got what it needed from the next hitter when Jase Ferguson’s ground ball to first resulted in Smith being thrown out at the plate. But Brayden Murray’s single scored Lutz and Lauer to tie the game.
Kohen Keemer then walked to reload the bases before Dauntae Girvin walked to put Clarion ahead for good, 8-7.
Bryce Brinkley followed with a two-run single to right to make it 10-7, and Dawson Smail walked to reload the bases for Tommy Smith, who capped the six-run inning with a hit to left to make it 11-7.
Bryce Brinkley had four hits in the win for Clarion. Photo by Diane Lutz
Ridley was able to plate a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to make things interesting thanks to a pair of solo home runs off of Murray, but Murray also recorded a pair of strikeouts in the inning, including one for the final out.
Clarion had jumped out to the 5-0 lead thanks to two in the first and three in the second.
In the opening frame, the first three Clarion batters all had hits with singles from Brinkley and Dawson Smail being followed by a run-scoring double to center by Tommy Smith after a wild pitch. One out later, Lauer singled home Smail to make it 2-0.
Devon Lauer had an RBI single in the first for Clarion. Photo by Diane Lutz
Then in the second, Murray hit a solo home run to center leading off the inning before Tommy Smith had a two-run, two-out single to center. The inning was helped along when Girvin reached first after striking out thanks to a wild pitch.
The early lead didn’t hold, though, as Ridley scored three in the third off of Tommy Smith and then added four more in the fourth against Jase Ferguson, who retired just one batter and gave up a two-run home run with two outs in the inning that gave Ridley the lead, 7-5.
Brinkley, Tommy Smith and Murray all had big games for Clarion.
Brinkley was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, Smith was 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs and Murray was 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Dawson Smail got the win going 1 ⅓ innings in relief striking out two.
Dawson Smail. Photo by Diane Lutz
The good news for Clarion was is that other than Smith, all pitchers should be eligible to pitch Monday.
On Monday, Clarion will be in the winner’s bracket semifinals against Canonsburg, a 12-2 winner over Back Mountain National. Game time is at 5 p.m. A win Monday would put Clarion in the winner’s bracket final against the winner of the KAU Kennett Square/Keystone game at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. A loss would send Clarion to the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament against the winner of the Huntingdon/Lehigh game at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Clarion can now finish no worse than sixth in the state.
Ridley will play in the loser’s bracket against Back Mountain National at 12:30 p.m. Monday.
