PUNXSUTAWNEY — Freshman fireballer Kylee Lingenfelter pitched a one-hitter to propel Punxsutawney past Clearfield 3-0 in the District 9 Class AAA softball semifinal at Harry Noerr Field Wednesday afternoon.
Erica Hanes’s fourth-inning single was the lone hit for the No. 3-seeded Lady Bison, who finished with a 7-14 record.
Lingenfelter racked up 14 strikeouts and was perfect until issuing her only walk to Abby Fedder right before Hanes broke up the no-hitter with a looper over second baseman Alyssa Reitz.
A wild pitch moved pinch-runner Lindsay Hand to third base and Hanes to second, but Lingenfelter stranded them with a strikeout.
“We get a clutch hit there, it’s a different ball game, cause it’s 2-2,” Clearfield coach Bob Lewis said. “But their pitcher threw well. She really did.
“Mainly, she threw a fast ball and really didn’t change speeds. We just couldn’t catch up to the fastball.
“I would say she was as good as, if not better, than (Tara) Baney from Bellefonte or (Sydney) Schultz from Bald Eagle Area.
“There were moments we fouled so many balls back into the screen. We were just missing pitches. I just felt if we could just get that first hit, something would break loose.”
Lingenfelter made sure it didn’t and concluded her dominating performance by setting down 10 of the last 11 batters she faced.
Fedder reached base a second time in the seventh inning on the game’s lone error before the right-hander closed out the shutout by sandwiching two strikeouts around a groundout.
The only plays Punxsy outfielders had to make were on Hanes’ hit and Brooke Cline’s flyout in the fourth inning.
Lingenfelter’s effort overshadowed Clearfield’s third error-free game of the season and a good outing in the circle by junior Raeleigh Redden.
“We worked so hard with the defense the last three days,” Lewis said. “And situations. We knew they may come out and play small ball with us.”
The Lady Chucks did just that, Shaina Painter dropping down a spinning bunt right in front of the plate for a hit after Nicole DiPietro led off the first inning with a line single to left and advanced to second on a passed ball.
After Painter stole second, Ivy Phillips drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right and Morgan Adamson singled off second baseman Lauren Butler’s glove to make it 2-0.
Those top four batters combined for seven hits, three runs and three RBIs.
In the fifth inning, DiPietro doubled down the right field line, Painter sacrificed her to third and Phillips doubled to deep left for the final run.
Punxsy totaled eight hits off Redden, who had two strikeouts and one walk.
“We knew Raeleigh, being rested, would throw a pretty decent game, which she did,” Lewis said, adding. “I’m very, very proud of the girls. We played as good as we could have. Two-thirds of what we needed to do was there. I just wish we’d have had a few more hits.”
With only one senior and six freshmen in the starting lineup, Lewis expressed his optimism for the upcoming seasons.
“It’s such a young squad,” he said. “We lose just Macala (Leigey). When you’re returning 22 out of 23 girls, the future’s pretty bright.
“I told the girls our season for next year begins tomorrow, and it’s gonna require us doing our off-season program.
“They know what they have to do, and they’re more than capable.”
No. 2 seed Punxsutawney (12-8) advances to play No. 1 seed St. Marys (11-6) in the championship game next Tuesday at a site and time to be determined. The Lady Dutch will be seeking their third consecutive title.
CLEARFIELD — 0
Brooke Cline ss 3000, Lauren Butler 2b 2000, Brittani Priester ph 1000, Abby Fedder dp 2000, Lindsay Hand pr 0000, Erica Hanes cf 3010, Makayla Ross 1b 3000, Aspen Bishop lf 3000, Sierra Jones 3b 2000, Nikki Brossard c 2000, Raeleigh Redden p 2000, Macala Leigey rf (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 23 0 1 0.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 3
Nicole DiPietro ss 3220, Shaina Painter lf 2110, Ivy Phillips 3b 2022, Morgan Adamson rf 3021, Anna Horner cf 3000, Lexi Cielo c 3010, Alyssa Reitz 2b 2000, Shania DeFoor ph 1000, Jensen Constantino 1b 1000, Tessa Winebark ph 1000, Sam Satterlee dp 1000, Alli Ishman ph 1000, Kylee Lingenfelter p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 23 3 8 3.
Score by Innings
Clearfield 000 000 0 – 0 1 0
Punxsutawney 200 010 x – 3 8 1
E – Phillips. PB – Brossard. LOB – Clearfield 3; Punxsutawney 5. 2B – DiPietro, Phillips. Sac – Painter. SF – Phillips. SB – Painter, Adamson. CS – Phillips (by Brossard).
Pitching
Clearfield – Redden 6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
Punxsutawney – Lingenfelter 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 14 K.
WP – Lingenfelter 1.
W – Lingenfelter (4-4). L – Redden (7-12).
Umpires – Colleen Shannon (plate), Denny Kopenhaver (first base) and Jim Pullman (third base).
Final 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 | 1 – 8 | 5 – 8 |
| 5/04 | @ Glendale | 11 – 5 | 6 – 8 |
| 5/05 | PENNS VALLEY | 0 – 7 | 6 – 9 |
| 5/08 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 0 – 15 | 6 – 10 |
| 5/11 | HOLLIDAYSBURG | 2 – 8 | 6 – 11 |
| 5/12 | @ Altoona | 8-9, 8 inn. | 6 – 12 |
| 5/13 | CURWENSVILLE | 16 – 8 | 7 – 12 |
| 5/14 | BRADFORD | 6 – 7 | 7 – 13 |
| 5/20 | District 9 AAA Playoffs | ||
| 5/20 | @ Punxsutawney | 0 – 3 | 7 – 14 |