BELLEFONTE – The Clearfield Area High School softball team rallied from three runs down going into the seventh inning to spoil Senior Night for the Bellefonte Lady Raiders with an exciting 7-6, nine-inning win in front of a large crowd Friday.
The coaching staff hustled the Lady Bisons to the outfield scoreboard before the power was turned off so that team photographer Paul Dietzel could shoot a picture of them pointing to the final score for the team\’s website.
Coach Bob Dixon has been talking about his team getting over the hump in close games, and the Lady Bisons finally prevailed in a one-run outcome after losing seven in that fashion.
Mandy Rowles not only went the distance in the circle, but she also knocked in the winning run with her third hit of the thriller that evened Clearfield\’s record at 8-8 and dropped Bellefonte\’s to 9-8.
Brittany Pataky and Nikki Collins made amends for going a combined 0-for-5 on Clearfield\’s Senior Night Thursday with two hits apiece and the other six runs batted in. Pataky, moved from second to fifth in the lineup recently by Dixon to give her more at-bats with runners aboard, had four of the ribbies.
Bellefonte, which has won the District 6 Class AAA championship seven years in a row, was led by Lindsey Stewart with three singles and one RBI and Josie Capparelle with two hits and two RBIs.
Three of the Lady Raider runs were unearned, including two in the first inning when the hosts jumped in front 3-0.
The Lady Bisons made it interesting in the fourth on Pataky\’s two-run single, but the hosts countered with single runs in the fifth and sixth frames for a 5-2 lead.
Clearfield refused to lose this one, though. The bottom of the order provided the spark. No. 8 hitter Megan Butler walked and No. 9 hitter Kenzie McGovern was safe on a fielder\’s choice play. One out later, Ashley Lias singled to load the bases for Collins, who responded with a two-run single.
After Rowles was intentionally walked, Pataky delivered her biggest hit of the season, a double that put the Lady Bisons ahead 6-5.
However, Bellefonte converted Rowles\’ lone walk into a run that forced extra innings. Taryn O\’Conner was sacrificed to second and scored for the third time on Capparelle\’s two-out hit.
In the ninth, Collins singled through the left side with one out, stole second and raced home for the deciding run on Rowles\’ single to center field.
Rowles relied on her defense for her fifth win as she registered only one strikeout. She surrendered eight hits.
Loser Deandra Sidisky racked up 13 strikeouts, but walked six and gave up 11 hits.
In a touch of class after the tough loss, Bellefonte Senior Night organizers introduced and presented flowers to Lady Bison seniors Collins, Pataky, Mallory Janocko and Toni Brubaker.
Clearfield travels to Sheffield on Monday and DuBois on Tuesday before entertaining Johnsonburg in its home finale Wednesday.
CLEARFIELD — 7
Alanna Luzier 2b 5010, Ashley Lias cf 5110, Nikki Collins ss 4322, Mandy Rowles p 3131, Brittany Pataky 1b 3024, Julie Colesar lf 5010, Alyssa Anderson rf 5000, Megan Butler dp 3110, Kenzie McGovern c 4100, Courtney Morgan (flex) 3b 0000. TOTALS: 37 7 11 7.
BELLEFONTE — 6
Taryn O\’Conner ss 4310, Christina Stathes 2b 3000, Alie Smith ph 1000, Brittany Rockey 3b 4111, Josie Capparelle 1b 4122, Deandra Sidisky p 4010, Erica Pooler c 4100, Lindsey Stewart cf 4031, Danielle Gomola rf 3001, Carla Weaver lf 3000, Ashley Heeman ph 1000. TOTALS: 35 6 8 5.
Score by Innings:
Clearfield 000 200 401 – 7 11 4
Bellefonte 300 011 100 – 6 8 2
Errors – Collins, Pataky, Morgan 2; Capparelle, Pooler. LOB – Clearfield 10, Bellefonte 6. 2B – Rowles, Pataky. Sac – Stathes, Gomola. SB – Collins 2, Ashley Condon 1.
Pitching
Clearfield – Rowles 9 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
Bellefonte – Sidisky 9 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 13 K.
WP – Rowles 1; Sidisky 1.
W – Rowles (5-7). Sidisky (8-4).
