Lady Bison Suffer Extra-Inning Setback, 5-4

BELLEFONTE — The Clearfield Area High School softball team came from behind twice to tie Bellefonte in their Mountain League encounter Friday afternoon, but the Lady Raiders won in walk-off fashion with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to nip the Lady Bison 5-4.

It was the second heart-breaker in as many days for the Lady Bison, who fell 1-0 at Bald Eagle Area in their opener.

First-year coach Bob Lewis preferred to take away the positives.

“Our bats came alive, and (Rachel) Hoffman pitched a good game,” he said. “We’re getting better.”

Hoffman held the perennial District 6 Class AAA champions to five hits and struck out 10 while walking two and allowing three earned runs.

Vanessa Cooper and Sarah Menna combined for all of the Bellefonte hits and drove in two runs apiece.

Cooper doubled and Menna single for the deciding run.

Clearfield got to winner Stevi Confer for nine hits, three by freshman Devynn Ireland.

Lucy Kovalick clubbed a two-run double, while freshmen Victoria Ireland and Lauren Butler added RBI singles.

“Games like that build character for later in the season,” Lewis said.

The Lady Bison are scheduled for four games next week, starting with a non-conference home game against Bradford that will be played on the junior varsity field at 4 p.m. They will host Tyrone in a league contest Tuesday.

See photos of the game here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsSBall040513.html

CLEARFIELD — 4

Megan Vanderburgh ss 4010, Heather Picard dp 4010, Rachel Hoffman p 3100, Devynn Ireland lf 4130, Lucy Kovalick 3b 3112, Victoria Ireland 1b 4001, Mikayla Ebeling cf 3110, Janelle Wallace c 4000, Lauren Butler 2b 3011, Macala Leigey (flex) rf 0000.  TOTALS: 32  4  8  4.

BELLEFONTE — 5

Jessica McClanahan 3b 3100, Alicia Allen lf 4000, Erica Divinney ss 4100, Vanessa Cooper c 4222, Sarah Menna 1b 4132, Stevi Confer p 2000, Elizabeth Linn rf 2001, Olivia Ripka 2b 2000, Gates dp 3000, Abby Irwin (flex) cf 0000.  TOTALS: 29  5  5  5.

Score by Innings

Clearfield     000 300 10 –  4  8  2

Bellefonte     003 001 01 –  5  5  1

E – Kovalick, V. Ireland; Confer. LOB – Clearfield 7; Bellefonte 4. 2B – Kovalick; Cooper. SSF – Linn. SB – Ebeling; Allen, Cooper.

Pitching

Clearfield – Hoffman 7 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 K.

Bellefonte – Confer 8 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.

HB – Hoffman 1 (McClanahan).

W – Confer (2-0). L – Hoffman (1-0).

Lady Bison Scoreboard: