Lady Bison Find Lady Bearcat Hurler Much Tougher in Rematch

HYDE — The Clearfield Area High School softball team couldn’t break through against a pitcher it  had raked for 14 hits nearly a month ago and wound up on the short end of a 7-1 verdict against Huntingdon at the Bison Sports Complex Tuesday.

Lady Bearcat senior Morgan Glover got even with the Lady Bison for the early-season 8-4 loss by scattering seven hits and keeping them off the board until the seventh inning of the Mountain League game.

“We didn’t start hitting the ball until the sixth inning,” Clearfield coach Bob Lewis said. “That’s too little, too late because you just can’t underestimate teams.”

Glover registered only four strikeouts but induced 13 pop-ups and fly outs and handled two of the Lady Bison’s four grounders.

“Our bats were slow through the zone,” Lewis pinpointed Clearfield‘s failure to mount much of an attack. “We weren’t as aggressive as we should have been.

“The first time we met her, we were pretty aggressive.”

The Lady Bison stranded nine runners, but none made it to third base until the final frame.

Macala Leigey got there via the lone Lady Bearcat error, Raeleigh Redden’s single over shortstop and a wild pitch. Lauren Butler’s infield single broke up the shutout.

Megan Vanderburgh had a pair of hits and Rachel Hoffman extended her hitting streak to 11 games dating back to last season with a shot that ricocheted off Glover’s leg in the sixth inning.

In the circle, Hoffman sailed through the first two innings with six strikeouts but ran into trouble in the third frame after Kaylene Yoder singled to right and the Lady Bison failed to execute a force play.

Hoffman hit Jenna Conner and gave the Lady Bearcats their first run with a wild pitch.

Natanya Shingler followed with a sacrifice fly and Shannon Henney singled to make it 3-0.

Huntingdon (4-4, 2-5 ML) doubled its lead in the fifth on Shingler’s home run to deep left, a walk and two Clearfield misplays.

The third walk issued by Hoffman also turned into a run in the sixth inning when Shingler’s two-out fly ball to short center fell for her second hit and  third RBI.

Hoffman racked up a season-high 12 strikeouts while surrendering five hits and five earned runs.

The Lady Bison tumbled to 2-5 in the league and 2-6 overall.

“I’m not gonna lose faith in them,” Lewis said. “You can’t put a finger on one thing. To win games in this league, you’ve gotta do all three: pitch the ball, hit the ball and catch the ball. And we did one of those, maybe, a little bit.

“We just were flat. And I don‘t know why.”

Clearfield will try to get back on the winning track in a non-league game at Bradford Wednesday.

HUNTINGDON — 7

Kyra Shea 1b 4100, Jenna Conner lf 3100, Natanya Shingler cf 3123, Shannon Henney ss 3111, Morgan Glover p 4100, Janay McCrum 3b 4010, Kim Stratton dp 2000, Kelsay McMullen ph-dp 1000, Kaylene Yoder 2b 3110, Hannah Varner c 2100.  TOTALS: 29  7  5  4.
CLEARFIELD — 1

Megan Vanderburgh ss 4020, Lauren Butler 2b 4011, Rachel Hoffman p 3010, Devynn Ireland c 4010, Karlie Lewis cf 2010, Victoria Ireland 1b 3000, Sierra Jones 3b 2000, Taylor Luzier ph 0000, Macala Leigey rf 3100, Rachel Redden lf 3010.  TOTALS: 29  1  7  1.

Score by Innings

Huntingdon  003 031 0 – 7  5  1
Clearfield       000 000 1 – 1  7  3
E – Shea; Vanderburgh 2, Redden. PB – Varner. LOB – Huntingdon 6; Clearfield 9. HR – Shingler. SF – Shingler. SB – Henney, McCrum 2; Vanderburgh, Lewis.

Pitching

Huntingdon – Glover 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
Clearfield – Hoffman 7 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 12 K.
HB – Glover 1 (Lewis); Hoffman 1 (Conner). WP – Glover 1; Hoffman 1.
W – Glover. L – Hoffman (2-5).

Umpires – Kenny Knepp (plate) and Bud Brennen (bases).

Lady Bison Scoreboard: