HYDE – Rachel Hoffman fired a two-hitter and whacked a two-run homer run while B.J. Bowman hammered a solo homer as the Clearfield Area High School softball team celebrated Senior Day with a 3-0 victory over Brookville at the Bison Sports Complex Monday.
Coach Bob Dixon was a bit disappointed the Lady Bisons didn’t spray more than six hits around the spacious and fenceless junior varsity field off Lady Raider hurler Stefany Alexander en route to balancing their record for the third time in two weeks.
“That’s two games in a row we haven’t hit, and I don’t think we’ve seen really good pitching,” he said. “They see that slower pitching and they think they’re gonna club that ball.
“What happens, they end up popping up or swinging and missing, cause they get way ahead of it. “They can’t wait on the ball. They get way too anxious.
“If we’re gonna do anything the rest of the season and even to make noise in the playoffs, we’ve got to hit better than that.”
Hoffman made sure the Lady Bisons (9-9) didn’t need much offense in this non-league game played in a drizzle that eventually turned into a steady rain on the chilly afternoon.
The sophomore right-hander dominated in the circle, striking out 11 Lady Raiders, a season high, and scooping up grounders for four more outs in her sixth win.
She was charted with 119 pitches but issued only one walk though having three-ball counts on nine batters.
Until Kacey Osborne drilled a single to left center with two outs in the seventh inning, it appeared Hoffman was going to be deprived of a no-hitter by Abby Beatty’s infield single in the fourth frame.
The Lady Raider third baseman just beat Hoffman’s strong to throw to first base after chopping a ball in front of the plate that trickled several feet down the third base line.
Hoffman supplied the only runs she needed by rifling the first pitch she saw in the first inning into the right center gap and chasing Melinda Owens around the sacks. Owens had cracked a single through the left side with one out.
While Hoffman’s homer would have been a double on the varsity field, the one Bowman launched with two outs in the third inning, her fourth homer of the season, would have soared out of any softball park with a fence.
“They’re the ones we count on to drive in runs most of the time,” Dixon said of the two standout hitters who have worn the collar in the same game only two times.
For Brookville (2-13), Alexander turned in a good effort with eight strikeouts and no walks.
The Clearfield seniors introduced, along with their parents, prior to the first pitch were Bowman, Owens, Andrea Butler, Robyn McBride, Tristan Lewis and Morgan Brooks.
Dixon had all of them in the lineup, with Brooks making her first start.
A seventh senior, Amanda Peoples, was not able to attend.
The Lady Bisons will host Central Mountain Tuesday, weather permitting, and then close the regular seasons against Punxsutawney Friday before heading into the District 9 Class AAA Playoffs.
BROOKVILLE — 0
Kristin Harriger cf 3000, Stefany Alexander p 3000, Abby Beatty 3b 3010, Brianna Geer 1b 3000, Kacey Osborne ss 3010, Rikki Stephens c3000, Morgan Bashline lf 1000, Morgan Reinard 2b 2000, Rachelle Gelnette rf 2000. TOTALS: 23 0 2 0.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Andrea Butler ss 3000, Melinda Owens 2b 3110, Rachel Hoffman p 3112, B.J. Bowman cf 3111, Lucy Kovalick c 3000, Robyn McBride rf 2010, Mikayla Ebeling rf 1000, Tristan Lewis 3b 2010, Megan Vanderburgh 3b 0000, Becca Byerly 1b 2010, Morgan Brooks lf 2000, Nellie Wallace lf 0000. TOTALS: 24 3 6 3.
Score by Innings
Brookville 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
Clearfield 201 000 x – 3 6 0
Errors – Harriger, Reinard. LOB – Brookville 3; Clearfield 3. HR – Hoffman (2), Bowman (4). SB – Beatty.
Pitching
Brookville – Alexander 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 K.
Clearfield – Hoffman 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K.
W – Hoffman (6-3). L – Alexander.
Umpires – Tom Moore (plate) and Tim Rupp (bases).
