HYDE — The Clearfield Area High School softball team hung with Mountain League runner-up Bald Eagle Area for three innings at the Bison Sports Complex Thursday afternoon before the Lady Eagles exploded to claim a 13-3 Mercy Rule victory.
Two-run singles by Haley Geidroc and Logan Fischer and a two-run homer by Morgan Peters broke it open in the fourth inning.
Needing three runs in the fifth for an early finish, the Lady Eagles got all of them on one swing by Geidroc, who rocketed a home run to right center to punctuate a spectacular 4-for-4, six-RBI performance.
Bald Eagle Area, which boasts most of the regulars from the 2014 ML championship team that lost in the PIAA Class AA finals, piled up 12 hits, five for extra bases, to up its record to 9-2 in the league and 12-3 overall.
“They’re a quality team, they’re established,” Clearfield coach Bob Lewis said. “We’ve just got to keep working to get to that next level.
“They just create all kinds of problems for you on defense with their team speed. Normal routine ground balls become adventures sometimes.
“We were there with them for a while, but we‘ve still got to work on the hitting.”
Winning pitcher Moreta Dyke limited the Lady Bison to four hits, all by freshmen, before giving way to Madison Ripka in the fifth inning.
Down 4-0, Clearfield got on the board in the second frame on Abby Fedder’s double that squirted away from the BEA right fielder, Karlie Lewis scoring after reaching base on an error.
The Lady Bison got close with two outs in the third when Brooke Cline singled over shortstop and Erica Hanes crushed her first home run to straightaway center field.
Fedder, who was making her first start, led off the fourth frame with another two-bagger on a clout into left center, but Dyke retired the next three batters to finish up her stint.
“Abby’s been really hitting the ball at the JV level, and she’s earned her opportunity,” Lewis said. “She’s gonna continue to get those opportunities the way she hit the ball today. It’s just a matter of what position Abby’s comfortable with, because we’ve know all along she can hit.”
Lewis noted that the contrast between the two defenses was another factor.
“We had some lapses, and they’ll make you pay for them,” he said, quickly adding that the Lady Eagles made more plays in the field. “Some of the bloops we had in the outfield, they tracked ’em down.”
The Lady Bison fell to 5-7 for their first non-league game Friday at Punxsutawney.
BALD EAGLE AREA — 13
Dallis Dillon cf 4200, Morgan Nyman c 2310, Haley Geidroc ss 4246, Marissa Tobias 3b 3120, Kiersten Walker ph 0000, Makenzie Proctor rf 2112, Megan Kresovich ph 1000, Logan Fischer 1b 2112, Skyler Woodward ph 1000, Morgan Peters dp 3112, Brylee Hockenberry ph 1000, Olivia Andrews lf 3010, Mikala Smith 2b 3210, Moreta Dyke p (flex) 0000, Madison Ripka p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 29 13 12 12.
CLEARFIELD — 3
Sierra Jones 3b 2000, Makayla Ross ph 1000, Brooke Cline ss 3110, Erica Hanes 2b-p 3112, Karlie Lewis cf 2100, Abby Fedder lf 2021, Devynn Ireland dp 2000, Nikki Brossard c 2000, Victoria Ireland 1b 1000, Brittani Priester ph 1000, Macala Leigey rf 1000, Aspen Bishop rf 0000, Lindsay Hand pr 0000, Raeleigh Redden p (flex) 0000, Lauren Butler 2b (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 20 3 4 3.
Score by Innings
Bald Eagle Area 220 63 – 13 12 1
Clearfield 012 00 – 3 4 3
E – Fisher; Jones, Redden 2. PB – Brossard. LOB – Bald Eagle Area 6; Clearfield 3. 2B – Nyman, Geidroc, Proctor; Fedder 2. HR – Geidroc, Peters; Hanes (1). Sac – Nyman.
Pitching
Bald Eagle Area – Dyke 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K; Ripka 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
Clearfield – Redden 4+ IP (faced 3 batters in 5th), 12 H, 13 R,
WP – Hanes 1.
W – Dyke. L – Redden (5-7).
Umpires – J.R. Rosselli (plate) and Mark Zimmerman (bases).
Lady Bison Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/24 | @ Central | 8 – 6 | 1 – 0 |
| 3/27 | HUNTINGDON | ppd. | 1 – 0 |
| 3/30 | @ Bellefonte | 2 – 11 | 1 – 1 |
| 4/01 | @ Huntingdon | 9 – 2 | 2 – 1 |
| 4/02 | @ Tyrone | 11 – 6 | 3 – 1 |
| 4/06 | @ Bald Eagle Area | 0 – 10 | 3 – 2 |
| 4/10 | @ Penns Valley | ppd. | 3 – 2 |
| 4/13 | PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA | 2 – 5 | 3 – 3 |
| 4/14 | @ Penns Valley | 2 – 7 | 3 – 4 |
| 4/16 | CENTRAL | 0 – 5 | 3 – 5 |
| 4/20 | CURWENSVILLE | ppd. | 3 – 5 |
| 4/21 | HUNTINGDON | 6 – 10 | 3 – 6 |
| 4/23 | BELLEFONTE | ppd. | 3 – 6 |
| 4/24 | BELLEFONTE | 10 – 7 | 4 – 6 |
| 4/27 | TYRONE | 12 – 2 | 5 – 6 |
| 4/30 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 3 – 13 | 5 – 7 |
| 5/01 | @ Punxsutawney | ||
| 5/04 | @ Glendale | ||
| 5/05 | PENNS VALLEY | ||
| 5/08 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | ||
| 5/11 | HOLLIDAYSBURG | ||
| 5/12 | @ Altoona | ||
| 5/13 | CURWENSVILLE | ||
| 5/14 | BRADFORD |