HYDE – Heather Picard tossed a one-hit gem against Bald Eagle Area as the Clearfield High School softball team knocked off the Lady Eagles 8-0 at the Bison Sports Complex on Friday afternoon.
The junior hurler gave up only an infield single in the top of the seventh, while striking out seven and not issuing a walk in gaining her first victory on the year.
Clearfield head coach Bob Dixon heaped praise on his young pitcher, “Heather (Picard) worked real hard this week in practice on location. The key today was her location of pitches and the ability to get that first strike on the hitters so she could stay ahead of them. She made them hit her pitch.”
B. J. Bowman had a big day at the plate for Clearfield as the senior went 3 for 4 with a home run, double, single and three RBI’s. The center fielder is now 7 of 14 over her last four games.
It was Bowman who put the Lady Bisons in front with a leadoff home run down the left field line in the bottom of the second inning.
Clearfield then added three more runs in the bottom of the third; and the way Picard was pitching, that looked like all the Lady Bisons would need to pull out the upset victory.
Andrea Butler started the third for Clearfield with a leadoff single to left center, and when the next Bison batter, Melinda Owens, reached base on an error the home team was in business with runners on first and second with no outs.
Rachel Hoffman singled to right field which sent Butler across home plate making it 2-0 in favor of the Lady Bisons.
Then, still with no outs, Bowman picked up two more RBI’s as she stroked a double off of the left field fence scoring both Owens and Hoffman. Result – after three innings Clearfield led 4-0.
Picard was now rolling, as she retired at one point 17 straight batters, after Lady Eagle Chelsey Poorman led off the game reaching first base on an error.
Clearfield tacked on another three spot in the bottom of the fourth on a walk to Megan Vanderburgh, a single by Butler, a double from Hoffman and a BEA miscue.
The final run for Clearfield came in the bottom of the sixth inning on singles by Owens, Bowman, and Picard, who picked up the RBI.
The only hit allowed by Picard was a leadoff infield single in the top of the seventh inning by Ali Simpson.
The Lady Bisons were paced on offense with Bowman having three hits and Butler, Hoffman and Picard each having two in the Clearfield 12 hit attack.
Dixon finished with comments about his defense and the big win, “Our defense really stepped up this afternoon. They played very well behind Heather (Picard).”
Then the Bison mentor continued, “That was certainly a big win for us and I believe it was the first time in my memory beating Bald Eagle. They have a lot of good players and beating a team like that should help us begin to believe in ourselves.”
Bald Eagle Area (BEA) dropped to 7-4 on the season while the Lady Bisons upped their record to 3-6 after the Mountain League cross-over game was completed.
Clearfield is on the road Monday when they travel for a 4:30 pm game against Juniata.
Photos of the game will be able to be seen here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsSBall042012.html
BALD EAGLE AREA – 0
Chelsey Poorman cf 3000, Ali Simpson 2b 3010, Carrie Barnyak ss 3000, Tiffany Kolp lf 3000, Casondra Ross rf/p 2000, Megan Peters ph 1000, Makennah Dyke p 1000, Taylor Kresovich rf 1000, Marissa Tobias dp 2000, Sydney Foster 3b 1000, Shawna Risley ph 1000, Mal Bennett 1b 2000, Emilie Peters flex/c 0000, TOTALS – 23 1 0 0.
CLEARFIELD – 8
Andrea Butler ss 4220, Melinda Owens 2b 4210, Rachel Hoffman dp 4222, B. J. Bowman cf 4133, Heather Picard p 4021, Mikayla Ebeling 1b 4010, Tristan Lewis lf 2000, Lucy Kovalick c 3010, Megan Vanderburgh 3b 2100, Robyn McBride flex/rf 0000, TOTALS – 31 8 12 6.
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
BALD EAGLE AREA 000 000 0 0 1 2
CLEARFIELD 013 301 X 8 12 1
ERRORS – E. Peters, Simpson, Owens. LOB – BALD EAGLE AREA – 1 CLEARFIELD – 7. DP – BALD EAGLE AREA. 2B – Hoffman, Bowman. HR – Bowman (2nd, solo) SB – Butler, Owens, Hoffman. SAC – Simpson.
PITCHING
BALD EAGLE AREA
Dyke 3 IP, 7 H, 4 R 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Ross 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
CLEARFIELD
Picard 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
WP – Picard (1-4) LP – Dyke (1-1)
UMPIRES – Jay Siegel, Scott Veihdorfer
Lady Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/26 | @ Bellefonte | 1 – 11 | 0 – 1 |
| 3/28 | MIFFLIN COUNTY | 0 – 10 | 0 – 2 |
| 3/30 | @ Penns Valley | 0 – 1 | 0 – 3 |
| 4/04 | @ Huntingdon | 9 – 1 | 1 – 3 |
| 4/09 | @ Central | 3 – 9 | 1 – 4 |
| 4/11 | TYRONE | 7 – 1 | 2 – 4 |
| 4/13 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 1 – 11 | 2 – 5 |
| 4/16 | @ Central Mountain | 1 – 3 | 2 – 6 |
| 4/20 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 8 – 0 | 3 – 6 |
| 4/23 | @ Juniata |