STATE COLLEGE – The Clearfield Lady Bisons struck out in their bid to win the inaugural game of the newly-formed Central Penn Softball League Wednesday.
Instead, the State College Lady Little Lions, coached by Curwensville Area High School graduate Rick Hall, etched their names into the CPL history book with a 9-0 shutout as Megan Brown dominated from the Community Field circle.
Brown, who pitched the third-seeded Lady Little Lions to their second consecutive District 6 Class AAAA championship last year, hurled a one-hitter and racked up 12 strikeouts.
\”Six of them were looking,\” disappointed Clearfield coach Bob Dixon noted. \”We were not swinging the bat. We just were not aggressive. I think a few of them were a little nervous.\”
Andrea Butler was the lone Lady Bison who didn\’t carry her bat back to the dugout and she also broke up Brown\’s no-no in the sixth inning.
The freshman shortstop led off with a grounder into the hole at short for a single.
\”Brown had a little bit of a curve ball and moved the ball around, but we didn\’t hit the ball hard at all,\” Dixon added.
Kelsey Graham and Haley Brown each had three of State College\’s 10 hits off Mandy Rowles.
Four of the Lady Little Lions\’ runs were unearned.
\”Mandy pitched a decent game, but it was just one of those nights,\” Dixon said. \”They had three hits that just dropped in, one behind first, one behind third and one a blooper over second. You can\’t defense those kind of hits.\”
He cited the defensive work of two of the five newcomers to the Lady Bison lineup.
\”Courtney Morgan made three really nice plays at second base,\” he said. \”She took two hits away from them. And McKenzie Moore did a real good job behind the plate for a freshman.\”
The Lady Bisons will have another opportunity for an historic win Monday when DuBois visits the Bison Sports Complex for the first District 9 League game. The game also will count in the CPL.
CLEARFIELD — 0
Janell Zalno lf 3000, Megan Butler 3b 2000, Mandy Rowles p 3000, Julie Colesar 1b 2000, Suzie Colesar rf 2000, B.J. Bowman cf 3000, Courtney Morgan 2b 2000, McKenzie Moore c 2000, Andrea Butler ss 2010. TOTALS: 21 0 1 0.
STATE COLLEGE — 9
Kelsey Graham lf 4231, Anna Juska 2b 4000, Emilee Eden 1b 2000, Shelby Kline ph 1000, Kirsten Glantz ss 4111, Haley Brown dp 4231, Carly Reeder rf 2100, Jessi Shisler ph 1011, Brianna Gearhart 3110, Lindsey Miller c 3101, Alexa Becker 3110, Megan Brown p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 31 9 10 5.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 000 000 0 – 0 1 2
State College 002 412 x – 9 10 0
Errors – M. Butler, J. Colesar. LOB – Clearfield 3; State College 7. 3B – Graham. CS – Butler (by Miller).
Pitching
Clearfield – Rowles 6 IP, 10 H, 9 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
State College – M. Brown 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 12 K.
HB – Rowles 1 (Gearhart).
W – M. Brown (1-0). L – Rowles (0-1).
