PHLIPSBURG – The Clearfield Area High School softball team wasn’t able to solve the pitching of Philipsburg-Osceola ace Kate Burge again Friday and suffered a 5-0 loss shortened to six innings by lightning near the Curtis Park Complex.
Lightning halted the Mountain League Allegheny Division game twice in the early innings, but the 30-minute delays didn’t bother Burge, who also shrugged a third stoppage to scatter four hits, strike out 11 and walked only one for her 11th win, and sixth shutout, of the season.
The junior right-hander has handcuffed the Lady Bisons three times, including 11-1 Mercy Rule wins last year and again on April 13, allowing just eight hits while fanning 30 and walking three in 17 innings.
First-inning doubles by Carly Gonder and Kenzie Burger provided the Lady Mountie hurler with the only run she would need.
Gonder singled home one run and another scored on a wild pitch in the second frame, and the Lady Mounties added another pair in the third on Kayla Wisor’s RBI-groundout and a passed ball.
P-O, 5-2 in the division and 12-4 overall, had seven hits off Clearfield junior Heather Picard, who pitched a complete game with three strikeouts and two walks.
For the Lady Bisons, Rachel Hoffman ran her hitting streak to 14 games with a single, but B.J. Bowman saw her nine-gamer end.
Clearfield (7-8) finished 4-4 in the division and, counting cross-over games against Nittany Division opponents, wound up 6-7 for their second season in the Mountain League.
The Lady Bisons will be back on their home diamond Monday for a Mountain League cross-over game with Central Mountain.
See photos from the game here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsSBall050412.html
CLEARFIELD — 0
Andrea Butler ss 3010, Melinda Owens 2b 2000, Rachel Hoffman rf 3010, B.J. Bowman cf 3000, Heather Picard p 3010, Lucy Kovalick c 3000, Robyn McBride lf 2010, Becca Byerly 1b 2000, Megan Vanderburgh 3b 2000. TOTALS: 23 0 4 0.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — 5
Carly Gonder c 3121, Abby Showers ss 2011, Kenzie Burge 1b 3011, Kate Burge p 3110, Aisha Goss lf 2110, Haley Frank 3b 2000, Kayla Wisor rf 3011, Morgan Williamson dp 1100, Katie Carpin cf 2110, Katie Meersand 2b (flex). TOTALS: 21 5 7 3.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 000 000 – 0 4 1
Philipsburg-Osceola 122 00x – 5 8 1
Error – Vanderburgh; Gonder. PB – Kovalick 1. LOB – Clearfield 6; Philipsburg-Osceola 5. 2B – Gonder, Showers, Kenzie Burge. Sac – Showers, Frank. SB – Butler; Gonder.
Pitching
Clearfield – Picard 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K.
Philipsburg-Osceola – Kate Burge 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K.
WP – Picard 2; Kate Burge 1.
W – Kate Burge (11-4). L – Picard (3-5).
Lady Bison Scoreboard:
| 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 | ppd. | 3 – 6 |
| 4/25 | HUNTINGDON | 8 – 7, 8 inn. | 4 – 6 |
| 4/26 | @ Juniata | 12 – 3 | 5 – 6 |
| 4/27 | CENTRAL | 3 – 10 | 5 – 7 |
| 5/01 | @ Bradford | 10 – 0 | 6 – 7 |
| 5/02 | @ Tyrone | 13 – 3 | 7 – 7 |
| 5/04 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 0 – 5 | 7 – 8 |
| 5/07 | CENTRAL MOUNTAIN |
W – Kate Burge (11-4). L – Picard (3-5).
