LOCK HAVEN – After failing to convert two scoring opportunities when the game was close, the Clearfield Area High School softball team wound up losing 6-1 as host Central Mountain pushed across four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with the aid of three Lady Bison miscues at Peddie Park Monday afternoon.
“We just not getting clutch hits right now,” coach Bob Dixon said. “We didn’t score when we had the chance, and we just fell apart in the sixth.”
B.J. Bowman had two of Clearfield’s four hits off Whitney Peters and drove in the lone run with a triple after Melinda Owens was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Mountain League Allegheny Division game.
The Lady Wildcats quickly got even on singles by Johnna Garbrick, Brittany Koch and Kayla Glossner.
Clearfield (6-9) missed a great chance to break the tie in the fourth frame. Mikayla Ebeling led off with a triple, but Peters retired the next three batters.
In the bottom of the inning, Meisha McGinnis tripled and scored what proved to be the winning run on a passed ball.
The Lady Bisons posed a threat in the sixth when Bowman walked and Suzie Colesar was safe on a fielder’s choice play. Peters, who struck out five and walked two, was equal to the challenge again, protecting the 2-1 lead with a strikeout and two infield pop-ups.
Then, Central Mountain (8-5) iced the win.
Clearfield didn’t defend one sacrifice bunt that went for a hit and had an error on another, leaving the bases loaded. Two Lady Wildcats scored on misplays, one on a groundout and one on Koch’s fourth consecutive single.
Heather Picard gave up nine hits and one walk, but only two of the Central Mountain runs were earned.
“We can’t keep making our pitchers throw shutouts,” Dixon said. “If you can’t put up some runs, eventually it’s gonna catch up with you. Our lack of hitting is putting too much pressure on our pitchers and defense.”
He noted that Lucy Kovalick hit two fly balls that might have been homers at Clearfield’s home field but just were long outs with Peddie Park’s deep fence, 285 feet compared to 190 at the Bison Sports Complex.
Central Mountain is 3-3 in the Allegheny Division, while Clearfield is 3-5.
The Lady Bisons go back on the road Tuesday for a division make-up with Philipsburg-Osceola.
See photos of the game here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsSBall050911.html
CLEARFIELD — 1
Andrea Butler ss 4000, Melinda Owens 2b 1100, B.J. Bowman cf 2021, Suzie Colesar 3b 3000, Mikayla Ebeling rf 3010, Rachel Hoffman lf 3000, McKenzie Moore c 3000, Lucy Kovalick 1b 3000, Tristan Lewis dp 3010, Heather Picard p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 25 1 4 1.
CENTRAL MOUNTAIN — 6
Johnna Garbrick cf 4110, Ciarra Peters rf 4001, Brittany Koch ss 4041, Kayla Glossner 3b 4011, Rachel Shady lf 3110, Meisha McGinnis dp 2220, Morgan Kunes 1b 2100, Hannah Shady 2b 2001, Courtney Weaver ph 1100, Paige Dickey c 3011, Whitney Peters p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 29 6 9 5.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 100 000 0 – 1 4 4
Central Mountain 100 104 x – 6 9 0
Errors – Butler 2, Owens 2. PB – Moore 1, Dickey 1. DP – Clearfield 1 (Butler and Kovalick). LOB – Clearfield 7; Central Mountain 7. 3B – Bowman Ebeling; McGinnis. Sac – Kunes. CS – Koch (by Moore).
Pitching
Clearfield – Picard 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
Central Mountain – W. Peters 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
HB – W. Peters 1 (Owens).
W – W. Peters (7-4). L – Picard (3-7).