BRADFORD – Unfazed by Wednesday’s long bus trip, the Clearfield Area High School softball team played an outstanding all-around game to rout winless Bradford 16-0 in three innings.
Eight starters had at least one hit and one run batted in, while Heather Picard hurled a one-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Lady Bisons evened their record at 7-7 in the District 9 Northern Allegany Big School Division scrap.
“Everything was just clicking,” said assistant coach Rodger Porter, in charge of the team with head coach Bob Dixon absent because of personal reasons.
Fronting the 12-hit attack were Tristan Lewis with three singles, Mikayla Ebeling with a single and a double and three RBIs and Melinda Owens with two singles and two RBIs, McKenzie Moore with a double and three RBIs and freshman Lucy Kovalick with her first varsity safety and two RBIs.
“Their pitcher struggled with control at times and at other times she looked good,” Porter said. “But when she did throw strikes, we hit it hard. I was very pleased with our aggressiveness at the plate.”
Clearfield sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning, and 10 of them circled the sacks. The key hits were a two-run single by Owens and a three-run double by Ebeling.
B.J. Bowman’s two-run single and Moore’s two-run double highlighted a six-run rally in the third inning that brought the 15-Run Mercy Rule into play.
The Lady Bison battery did the rest.
“Heather just went out and took control,” Porter said. “I had McKenzie calling pitches and locations, and Heather was just drilling the glove.”
Picard gave up one walk in addition to Ryleigh Langianese’s groundball single in the second inning.
Bradford is 0-11.
Clearfield will welcome Punxsutawney (10-2) to the Bison Sports Complex Monday.
See photos of the game here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsSBall050510.html
District 9 Northern Allegany League Big School Division – DuBois 7-0, Punxsutawney 6-1, Clearfield 3-3, St. Marys 2-5, Brookville 1-5, Bradford 0-5.
CLEARFIELD – 16
Score by Innings
Clearfield (10)06 – 16 12 0
Bradford 0 00 – 0 1 2
Errors – Abers, Pascarella. LOB – Clearfield 3; Bradford 2. 2B – Ebeling, Moore. SB – Zalno; Bacha.
Pitching
Clearfield – Picard 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.
Bradford – Jesse Mascho 3 IP, 12 H, 16 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 0 K.
HB – Jesse Mascho 2 (Moore, Keener).
W – Picard (7-4). L – Jesse Mascho (0-11).
Melinda Owens ss 4222, Janell Zalno lf 3211, B.J. Bowman cf 1312, Mikayla Ebeling rf 3123, Tristan Lewis 2b 3231, Suzie Colesar 3b 3111, McKenzie Moore c 2213, Mia Keener dp 1101, Lucy Kovalick 1b 2212, Heather Picard p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 22 16 12 16.
BRADFORD — 0
Meagan Hillard ss 2000, Erika Bacha lf 1000, Jesse Mascho p 1000, Tate Slaven c 1000, Ryleigh Langianese 2b 1010, Ashlie Herrington 1b 1000, Kelsey Langdon dp 1000, Jonnie Mascho 3b 1000, Amber Abers cf 1000, Lexy Pascarella rf (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 10 0 1 0.