HYDE – The 8-1 score suggests a blowout by once-beaten DuBois against Clearfield in Thursday\’s softball game between the Clearfield County rivals.
The players, coaches and fans who were at the Bison Sports Complex know better.
By virtue of two unearned runs in the fifth inning, the visiting Lady Beavers were clinging to a 2-1 lead going to the final frame.
Then, a six-run outburst made it a no-doubter the way DuBois ace Leah Wallock was working.
After issuing her only walk, the crafty senior quickly wrapped up the Lady Beavers\’ 14th consecutive win via a foul pop-up and two ground balls.
That was the only inning Wallock didn\’t register a strikeout. She whiffed Lady Bisons 12 times to run her totals to 156 in 96 innings this season and 559 for her four-year career.
Alanna Luzier foiled Wallock\’s bid for her 12th shutout of the year when she ripped a home run to left to give the Lady Bisons and their followers a ray of hope in the sixth inning.
The senior second baseman\’s first career circuit blow was only the third run of the year allowed by Wallock, who posted her 44th career win with a three-hitter. She also three-hit the Lady Bisons in an 8-0 win on April 2.
\”I don\’t think she was throwing as hard as she has in the past, but she locates well and she moves the ball around,\” Clearfield coach Bob Dixon said. \”We had some girls take some real good pitches.
\”We took too many good first strikes. Then she\’s working inside, outside, up and down on us, and we\’re having to get defensive. Instead of being aggressive and trying to drive the ball, we\’re just trying to put wood on the ball so we don\’t strike out.
\”And (when) she gets ahead of you, she\’s not gonna give you another pitch to hit. So if it\’s there, you\’ve gotta jump on it. And we didn\’t.\”
In contrast, the Lady Beavers got to Mandy Rowles for 12 hits, with seven coming in the last inning.
After pinch-hitter Lindsay Obremski drew the lone walk Rowles surrendered, Carly Wallock failed to lay down a bunt but looped a single to center and speedy Alysha Lange bunted for a hit to load the bases.
With the infield up, Lady Bison shortstop Ashley Lias turned Kirsten Wilcox\’s grounder into a forceout at the plate. However, Kristine Foltz slashed a single to right center for two runs, Lorianne Barbey pounded a double to the center field fence for an RBI, Leah Wallock singled for another run and Meg Brown singled to right center for the final two tallies.
\”It\’s tough playing tight games and tight games, when your pitcher can\’t make a mistake,\” Dixon said. \”They got a walk and a hit, and it just snowballed on us.
\”We hung in with them. 8-1 isn\’t indicative of the game.\”
Kenzie McGovern had the other two hits for Clearfield, which will take an 11-6 record into its home finale against State College Friday afternoon before preparing for the District 9 Class AAA Playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
\”Hopefully, our bats will come alive,\” Dixon said. \”We can\’t have one hit this inning and maybe two that inning, then none for a couple innings. We\’ve got to lay three, four, five hits in a row on some people. It\’s not happening right now.\”
The only Class AAAA team in District 9, DuBois (17-1) will have to go through District 10 in the PIAA Playoffs again this year. The Lady Beavers have advanced out of the D-9-10 game the last two seasons but haven\’t been able to get past the District 7 (WPIAL) representatives, losing to state champ Shaler in 2006 and state runner-up Latrobe in 2007.
DUBOIS — 8
Alysha Lange cf 3121, Kirsten Wilcox 2b 4131, Kristine Foltz 3b 3112, Lorianne Barbey c 4121, Leah Wallock p 3111, Meg Brown ss 4012, Brit Sayers 1b 4100, Vanessa Jacobson dp 1100, Lindsay Obremski ph-dp 1010, Carly Wallock lf 4110, Krista Tangren (flex) rf 0000. TOTALS: 31 8 12 8.
CLEARFIELD — 1
Alanna Luzier 2b 3111, Megan Butler 3b 3000, Ashley Lias ss 3000, Mandy Rowles p 3000, Julie Colesar 1b 2000, Alyssa Anderson cf 3000, Kenzie McGovern c 3020, Courtney Morgan rf 3000, Sarah Kovalick lf 2000. TOTALS: 25 1 3 1.
Score by Innings
DuBois 000 020 6 – 8 12 1
Clearfield 000 001 0 – 1 3 4
Errors – Foltz; LOB – DuBois 7; Clearfield 4. 2B – Barbey. HR – Luzier (1). Sac – Foltz, L. Wallock, Jacobson. SF – Lange.
Pitching
DuBois – L. Wallock 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 K.
Clearfield – Rowles 7 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
WP – Rowles 1.
W – L. Wallock (14-1). L – Rowles (11-6).
Umpires – Tim Rupp (home); Scott Viehdorfer (bases).
