Empty Feeling
Karns City was hoping its bats would come alive against Clarion’s bullpen. Instead, the Gremlins struggles at the plate were magnified Monday evening.
After striking out six times in three innings against starter Devon Lauer, KC was baffled by reliever Matt Alston, who fanned the first seven batters he faced. For the game, the Gremlins were set down on strikes 15 times in a 5-1 loss to the defending PIAA Class A champion Bobcats at Pullman Park.
“This is one of those games you walk away from not knowing exactly what happened,” said KC coach Josh Smith. “Clarion is a very good team and they have strong pitching and we knew that coming in, but I would’ve liked to have seen us put up more of a fight than we did.”
Alston retired the first nine Gremlins who challenged him. His perfection was finally broken in the bottom of the seventh when he walked Troy Nagel and Mason Sherwin, but he closed the game with his ninth strikeout in four innings without allowing a run.
“Karns City is a really good hitting team,” said Clarion coach Rob Jewett. “Our pitchers were living on the corners and hitting their spots, so hats off to them. (Catcher) Hayden Weber did a good job of setting up.”
Things started off well for KC in the bottom of the first. Hobie Bartoe was hit by a pitch and scored on Jacob Jones’ double with one out, but it turned out to be the lone hit of the game for the Gremlins.
Lauer, the winning pitcher in last year’s state title game against DuBois Central Catholic, then found his groove, setting down eight of the next nine batters he faced. He had worked two innings in a game Saturday and was pulled after three innings against KC in favor of Alston, who took the mound with a 5-1 lead.
The Bobcats took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the top of the second against Jones. Derek Smail led off that frame with a double off the wall in left field and scored when Lauer singled. Tanner Miller followed with a base hit and later scored on an error.
Run-scoring singles from Dawson Smail and Bryce Brinkley highlighted Clarion’s 3-run top of the fourth. Jones worked through that inning, but was relieved by Colton Christie at the start of the fifth. The latter held Clarion scoreless on one hit in his three innings of work.
“Colton’s a tough lefty, but J.J. has earned the right to battle through things to get right,” Smith said.
The Bobcats (9-1) tallied six of their seven hits in the second and fourth innings, the two frames in which they scored.
“Sometimes we start a game slow at the plate, but finish strong,” Jewett said. “Our guys can get anxious, start getting underneath the ball, but you can never count us out.”
Karns City will get a chance to rebound Wednesday at Cranberry.
“We’re usually able to hit with teams and stay with them,” Smith said. “We’re 8-2 now and still in a good position. We took one on the chin today and will get back to work tomorrow.”
Clarion 020 300 0 — 5 7 0
Karns City 100 000 0 — 1 1 2
W: Matt Alston 4 IP (9K, 2BB). L: Jacob Jones 4 IP (4K, 4BB).
Clarion (9-1): Dawson Smail 1B RBI, Bryce Brinkley 2-1B RBI, Derek Smail 2B R, Devon Lauer 2-1B R RBI, Tanner Miller 1B R
Karns City (8-2): Jacob Jones 2B RBI
Wednesday: Karns City at Cranberry
