HYDE – Sophomore Suzie Colesar continued her torrid hitting with a single, double and two-run homer and Andrea Butler fashioned a five-hitter as Clearfield shook off Tuesday\’s tough 6-5 loss at Bradford and trimmed Brookville 8-1 at the Bison Sports Complex Wednesday afternoon.
\”To come back here and get a win, it\’s good for these kids, because they need to keep the positive spirit going,\” coach Bob Dixon said after the Lady Bisons completed a season sweep of the Lady Raiders in the District 9 Northern Allegany League Big School Division game.
Clearfield is 3-4 in the D9NAL and 4-12 overall.
Colesar, who is 10-for-15 in the last five games, ignited a pair of two-run innings and punctuated the three-run third with her blast over the left field fence.
She led off the second by ramming a single through the left side. Mia Keener hustled out a bunt for a hit, and both runners moved up when the ball was thrown away at first. One out later, Chantel Read picked up two runs batted in when Brookville center fielder Brianne Dietrich couldn\’t corral her sinking liner.
Colesar\’s homer gave the Lady Bisons a 5-0 cushion in the third inning.
She doubled to deep center to start the fifth and was safe at the plate on Keener\’s solid hit to center when a strong throw from Dietrich was mishandled. Keener wound up at third and tallied the final run on Courtney Morgan\’s single.
\”Suzie has been really driving the ball,\” Dixon said. \”She hasn\’t had too many bleeders. She\’s raised her average up over .300, and that\’s been all solid hitting.
\”It was our game at Brookville, all of a sudden she turned on the light. And, boom! Away she went. She was a totally different girl.\”
Dixon, admittedly disappointed that the Lady Bisons made good contact in only two innings at Bradford, liked what he saw in his team\’s bounceback effort.
\”Tonight, we hit the ball real well,\” he said.
Clearfield totaled 11 hits, with Keener also collecting a trio of safeties and five others chiming in with one hit apiece.
\”She\’s really come on,\” Butler said of the freshman right fielder. \”She\’s a good outfielder, and we moved her up to sixth in the order because she is starting to hit. It worked out good tonight.\”
Butler cruised to her fourth win, losing a shutout when Amanda Liebman homered to left center in the fourth inning.
The freshman right-hander struck out five and walked two.
Dixon also noted the work Read, a junior, is doing behind the plate.
\”We talked to Chan about taking more of a leadership role as a catcher,\” he said. \”I want her to be aggressive out there and take charge. When a pop-up is in the infield, I want her to call it out. And talk to the pitcher between pitches. Try to keep up the enthusiasm.
\”I told her, \’If you\’re enthused, it\’ll spread.\’
\”She really gives a good effort. She goes full tilt all the time. I think she\’s going to make a heck of a catcher by the time she\’s done next year.\”
Brookville fell to 3-6 in the league and 4-9 for the season.
Clearfield visits Altoona Friday and Punxsutawney Saturday, the latter an 11:00 a.m. start.
BROOKVILLE — 1
Brianna Dietrich cf-p 4010, Brynna Hetrick ss 4000, Renee Hines lf 3000, Jaime Hays lf-cf 0000, Amanda Liebman c 3111, Shannon Shaffer 1b 2000, Sam Rakovan 3b 3000, Lindsay McManigle p-2b 2010, Janae Sampson rf-lf 3010, Logan Snell dp 2010, Chelsey Caylor 2b-rf (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 26 1 5 1.
CLEARFILELD — 8
Janell Zalno cf 3110, Sophie Reed ph-cf 1000, Melinda Owens ss 3110, Megan Butler 3b 3110, Kaitlin Adamson ph-3b 1000, Julie Colesar 1b 4000, Suzie Colesar lf 4332, Mia Keener rf 3230, Courtney Morgan 2b 3011, Chantel Read c 3012, Andrea Butler p 2000. TOTALS: 30 8 11 6.
Score by Innings
Brookville 000 100 0 – 1 5 4
Clearfield 023 120 x – 8 11 2
Errors – Hetrick, Hines, Liebman, McManigle; Owens, Morgan. LOB – Brookville 7; Clearfield 6. 2B – S. Colesar. HR – Liebman; S. Colesar (1). Sac – McManigle. SB – Dietrich, Hetrick, Snell; Owens 3, Morgan 2, Read.
Pitching
Brookville – McManigle 5 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; Dietrich 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – A. Butler 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
WP – McManigle 2; A. Butler 2.
W – A. Butler (4-8). L – McManigle (0-3).
Umpires – Scott Viehdorfer (plate); Frank Germino (bases).