Prep baseball: Clearfield piles up 15 runs in one inning to takes series over Box Elder
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- Clearfield High players Cooper Munford (22) and Chase Marriott (8) fist bump a coach during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Elijah Rosario puts his bat on a Box Elder pitch during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Brady Reynolds extends his run to round first base during a Region 5 baseball game against Box Elder on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Ethan Reimer (49) slides into a base against a Box Elder infielder during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder High catcher Korbin Jeppesen, left, and pitcher Korver Smith talk during a mound visit in a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Hank Campbell steps to hit third base during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Elijah Rosario gestures from second base during a Region 5 baseball game against Box Elder on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- A Box Elder High player slides into the plate during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder’s Bryson Wight (4) slides into third base as Clearfield’s Brody Mower (18) tries to apply the tag during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder’s Bryson Wight turns to throw the baseball during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield and Box Elder players go through the postgame handshake line after a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Coaches for Clearfield and Box Elder shake hands after a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High’s Ryan Frei (11) dives into second base as Box Elder’s Bryson Wight reaches to apply a tag during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- A Clearfield High batter swings at a Box Elder pitch during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- A Box Elder player lets a throw fly during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- A Clearfield High batter watches the flight of his batted ball during a Region 5 baseball game against Box Elder on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder High pitcher Korver Smith rears back to throw during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Clearfield High pitcher Brady Reynolds delivers a pitch to a Box Elder batter during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder infielder Bryson Wight tosses the ball from a knee during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
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- Box Elder High pitcher Korver Smith pushes off the mound to throw a pitch to a Clearfield batter during a Region 5 baseball game on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Clearfield.
CLEARFIELD — The baseball scoreboard at Clearfield High School showed five runs in the home half of the second inning, only because it wasn’t designed to display 15.
Clearfield batted around twice in the bottom of the second, sending 19 hitters to the plate, while scoring 15 runs, effectively erasing an early 4-0 deficit to Box Elder.
The Falcons won the rubber match of the series, run-ruling the Bees in four innings, 21-6, in a Region 5 rout.
Speaking of records, Steve Ross won his 106th game as Clearfield’s head coach (debuting in 2016) and said he couldn’t conceive what happened on Friday.
“I’ve never seen us do that. This inning, there were a lot of firsts for us. You always want to stay humble, but it’s nice to see the kids hit like that,” Ross said. “I was a little worried when we started off slow, but we had 13 hits. … That’s another first. I don’t remember a 15-run inning in the time I’ve been at Clearfield.”
Baseball historians may dispute some other firsts outlined below, but for now, there are some notable achievements that stand out.
Fourteen of the first 15 batters in the inning reached base by either a hit, walk or Box Elder error.
“That was great hitting. It was one thing after another. We didn’t begin the year with a big inning and have grown into it,” Ross said.
Designated hitter Hank Campbell came to bat three times in the inning. He led off with a single, then came up the second time with the bases loaded and the score tied at 4-4.
Campbell smashed a three-run double, giving the Falcons a 7-4 lead.
“Not trying to do anything too big. I wanted to make sure to get a nice easy bat path to the field and hit something as hard as I could; something in the air,” Campbell said. “Let’s keep the rally going … go up there and have fun and help my team out as much as I could.”
First baseman Elijah Rosario had two doubles in the inning, driving in three runs.
“Coach has been telling me all year, ‘Believe in yourself; know you can do it.’ I went to the plate with a lot of confidence and saw the first pitch middle … attacked it and drove it to the right-center gap,” Rosario said. “On my second hit, I turned on an inside pitch and ended up with another double.”
Campbell stroked a third hit in the third inning, finishing 3 for 4 with two runs scored and the three RBIs on the double.
“(Ross) told me to think line drives and in my head, I just wanted to get as many runs as I can. I knew I could hit one and score a few and get us up,” Campbell said. “My job on this team is to get on base and get us going.”
Rosario also rapped three hits for three RBIs, going 3 for 3 with four runs scored. (He was also hit by a pitch and scored run No. 21 in the fourth inning).
“My teammates … we do it for each other. Coach said I need you on base; let’s end this game early,” Rosario said. “On my third hit, I wanted to go right side, originally, but I got a little ahead of myself. … Still got a piece of it through the 5-6 gap and got a single.”
If there is a common thread to Ross’s approach to his team, it is that he gives few rah-rah speeches, opting more for personalized instruction.
“I try to individualize. They’re all different. You learn who they are and what makes them tick … not all the same,” Ross said. “You get to know your kids, what buttons to push. I know the guys I’m going to lean on to go out and win ballgames, so I’ll have one-on-one conversations with them.”
Clearfield (12-10, 11-4) slammed 17 hits overall and, while there were many stars, some of the highlights include: four RBIs by shortstop Ryan Frei, and three runs each scored by catcher Brodie Deal, second baseman Christian Taylor and third baseman Brody Mower.
All nine Clearfield position players scored at least one run and had at least one hit.
Brady Reynolds started and completed the shortened game for the Falcons, although he was not his usual sterling self by walking four, hitting two batters and throwing two wild pitches.
No problem for the team-centric Falcons, as Rosario noted: “We try to pick each other up. We know we all have the ability to do it … keep the energy up in the dugout, reassure our players. Support them and finish out the game strong.”
Box Elder (6-13, 5-7) was led by shortstop Bryson Wight, who batted 2 for 2 with a triple, a double, a walk, three runs scored and two RBIs.
Sophomore pitcher Korver Smith threw a 1-2-3 first inning for the Box Elder, got staked to the 4-0 lead, but absorbed most of the second -nning beating because the Bees had used up most available arms when they took Game 1 of the series on Tuesday.
“We started exactly the way we wanted, then their bats came alive. They couldn’t miss a baseball and wouldn’t hit it to where we were standing,” Box Elder coach Kasey Cullimore lamented. “It went smooth in the first, then it got away from us in a hurry. We had trust in him and didn’t have anybody ready to go.
“Bosten Steacie (game one starter) is not available until tomorrow and Maddox (Earnest) threw 87 (pitches) and had to be at 85 to be available today. We learned a valuable lesson, with a couple of players on the bench not eligible to throw,” Cullimore said.
After scoring only four runs in the loss against Steacie and Earnest on Tuesday, Ross was happy with how his team rallied for 17 runs on Wednesday and 21 on Friday.
“Nice to see how our guys bounced back with 17 hits today,” Ross said with a smile.
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Prep baseball: Clearfield piles up 15 runs in one inning to takes series over Box Elder
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