HYDE – Clearfield out-hit Bellefonte 10-7 but didn\’t play well in the field, and the Raiders staved off a Lady Bison rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to depart the Bison Sports Complex with a 7-6 victory after Wednesday scholastic softball action.
\”We were like a step behind,\” coach Bob Dixon said after the Lady Bisons slipped to 8-4. \”We would get an out. Then we\’d have an error. Of course, when we had an error, then we would compound it, and they\’d end up scoring some runs.
\”And they have a good team. They\’ve got a little more power than I thought they did.\”
Danielle Gomola\’s three-run home run, which snapped a 3-3 tie in the fourth inning, was the big blow for Bellefonte (11-5), while Brittany Rockey lashed a solo homer in the second for the game\’s first run.
Only one of Bellefonte\’s runs will be chalked up against loser Mandy Rowles\’ earned run average, though. The Lady Bison pitcher surrendered seven hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Julie Colesar led Clearfield with three singles. Alanna Luzier and Ashley Lias had two apiece.
The Bisons capitalized on a pair of two-out Lady Raider miscues to take a 3-1 lead in the second inning, two runs coming on Luzier\’s sharp single up the middle and the third when the ball was misplayed in the outfield.
Bellefonte picked up a run in the third and then went ahead 6-3 in the fourth after a two-out error opened the door. Winning pitcher Emily Dauberman pounded a run-scoring double to right and, following a walk to Amber Burd, Gomola connected for her homer to deep right.
Two errors around a passed ball and wild pitch gave the Lady Raiders what appeared to be a harmless run in the sixth, but it proved to be the game-winner when the Lady Bisons battled back in the seventh.
\”They didn\’t quit,\” Dixon said. \”I told Mandy before the inning started, \’Mandy, you\’re going to bat.\”
He proved to be a prophet as, with one out, Luzier ripped a double, Megan Butler beat out an infield hit and Ashley Lias punched a single to left for an RBI, bringing Rowles to the plate as the tying run.
However, Bellefonte coach Gregg Kohlhepp took the bat out of Rowles\’ hands with an intentional walk, loading the bases.
\”I was wishing they had pitched to her,\” Dixon said. \”But they did the smart thing. You\’re not going to let Mandy tie the game up.\”
The Lady Bisons almost did anyway. After Colesar made it 7-5 with an infield single, Alyssa Anderson clubbed a sacrifice fly to center.
Carrie Harbold, the courtesy runner for Rowles, held up at second to make sure Lias broke for home and was thrown out trying to advance to third, catcher Meranda Poorman to third baseman Rockey.
\”That was my fault,\” said Dixon, who was in the coaching box. \”I saw the throw going home, and I know Harbold can run. But she didn\’t have any jump, and I was trying to bring her over.
\”I should have left her there. What\’s the difference if she\’s on second? I\’ve got to get a hit to get her home. But she can run like the wind. Yeah, I\’ll take the blame for that.
\”The kids fought. I feel like I let them down.
\”But maybe we shouldn\’t have been in that position in the first place. We played kind of shabby there for a while.\”
The Lady Bisons, whose errors, passed balls and wild pitches totaled 12, will be at home again Thursday against Brookville. The junior varsity game has been cancelled because the Lady Raiders will not have enough players.
BELLEFONTE — 7
Danielle Gomola rf 4113, Brittany Smith 2b 4120, Taryn O\’Connor ss 4000, Erica Pooler 1b 4010, Brittany Rockey 3b 4121, Alyssa Stahly dp 4000, Alie Smith cf 2100, Emily Dauberman p 3211, Amber Burd lf 2100, Meranda Poorman (flex) c 0000. TOTALS: 31 7 7 5.
CLEARFIELD — 6
Alanna Luzier 2b 4122, Megan Butler 3b 4110, Ashley Lias ss 4121, Mandy Rowles p 3000, Julie Colesar 1b 4031, Alyssa Anderson cf 3111, Kenzie McGovern c 3010, Suzie Colesar rf 3100, Sara Kovalick lf 2100. TOTALS: 30 6 10 5.
Score by Innings
Bellefonte 011 401 0 – 7 7 3
Clearfield 030 000 3 – 7 10 5
Errors – B. Smith, A. Smith, Poorman; Butler 4, Anderson. PB – McGovern 4. DP – Bellefonte 1 (B. Smith and Pooler). LOB – Bellefonte 5; Clearfield 6. 2B – Rockey; Luzier. HR – Gomola, Rockey. SF – Anderson.
Pitching
Bellefonte – Dauberman 7 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
Clearfield – Rowles 7 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K.
WP – Rowles 3.
W – Dauberman (4-1). L – Rowles (8-4).
Umpires – Jeff Aveni (home), Mark Gormont (bases).
