BELLEFONTE – The Clearfield Area High School softball team’s bats were as cold as the bitter temperatures for the 2012 season opener Monday, resulting in an 11-1 loss to perennial District 6 Class AAA power Bellefonte.
Hannah Cooper pitched a two-hitter and the Lady Raiders racked up 14 hits in their second win in the Mountain League cross-over game that was halted with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning because of the Mercy Rule.
The Lady Bisons averted a shutout when Megan Vanderburgh doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Andrea Butler’s groundout in the third inning.
Cooper, who stepped into the No. 1 starter’s role after two seasons as a standout catcher for the Lady Raiders, struck out six and walked only one in following up a six-hit victory over Central Mountain Friday.
Bellefonte, loaded with talent from the 2010 state championship and 2011 semifinalist teams, struck for six runs in the first inning, with Erica DeVinney’s two-run triple and Jess Gmerek’s double the big blows.
DeVinney led the Lady Raiders with three hits and three RBIs.
Chrissy Tressler singled three times and drove in a pair of runs, while Gmerek, Cooper and Jillian Musser chimed in with two hits apiece.
Melinda Owens had the other hit for Clearfield.
Heather Picard took the loss, giving way to Rachel Hoffman after Bellefonte had opened a 10-1 lead through three frames.
Coach Bob Dixon’s Lady Bisons will try to rebound against Mifflin County in their home opener Wednesday.
See photos of the game here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsSBall032612.html
CLEARFIELD — 1
Andrea Butler ss 2001, Melinda Owens 2b 2010, B.J. Bowman cf 1000, Rachel Hoffman dp-p 2000, Tristan Lewis lf 2000, Robyn McBride lf 0000, Mikayla Ebeling rf 2000, Lucy Kovalick 1b 2000, Janelle Wallace c 1000, Rebecca Byerly c 1000, Megan Vanderburgh 3b 2110, Heather Picard p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 17 1 2 1.
BELLEFONTE — 11
Hannah Cooper p 3221, Jillian Musser cf 4320, Erica DeVinney ss 3233, Jess Gmerek 2b 4222, Chrissy Tressler 3b 3132, Vanessa Cooper c 1012, Watson 1b 3100, Chambers lf 3000, Giles rf 3011. TOTALS: 27 11 14 11.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 001 00 – 1 2 3
Bellefonte 613 01 – 11 14 0
Errors – Vanderburgh, Bowman, Lewis. PB – Wallace 3. LOB – Clearfield 2; Bellefonte 8. 2B – Vanderburgh; Gmerek. 3B – DeVinney. SF – V. Cooper. SB – Gmerek, Tressler, Watson.
Pitching
Clearfield – Picard 3 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 K; Hoffman 1+ IP (faced 3 batters in 5th), 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
Bellefonte – H. Cooper 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.
WP – H. Cooper.
W – H. Cooper (2-0). L – Picard (0-1).
