HYDE — Freshman Olivia Bender allowed only one hit in her first start and the Clearfield Area High School sent 15 batters to the plate during an 11-run outburst in the fourth inning that turned Thursday’s non-league game with Bradford into a 15-3 Mercy Rule rout at the Bison Sports Complex.
Bender struck out seven and walked five in her five-inning outing that allowed coach Derek Danver to give ace Emma Hipps a rest after pitching back-to-back days and the Lady Bison having another game scheduled for Friday.
Bender was denied a no-hitter when Bradford hurler Emily Warner lined a run-scoring single to right center with no outs in the fourth inning.
Three of the Lady Owls who received free tickets to first base came around to score.
“Olivia throws pretty hard, and she throws a changeup when she needs it,” Danver said. “She was effective.”
The Lady Bison were slow out of the gate offensively, tying the score 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning and leading only 4-2 before breaking it open in the fourth.
“They weren’t ready to go right away,” Danver said. “Once we got our heads in the game a little bit more we started hitting.
“I think we were a little overanxious until we settled in. We were seeing the ball coming in, and whether it was a ball or a strike, we were pulling the trigger and swinging at all of them. But we buckled down and started swinging at good pitches and getting hits.”
The first signs came in the third when Lauren Ressler bounced a sharp single up the middle for an RBI and Morgan Cheek lashed a triple up the right center alley. She then scored on a wild pitch.
Alexis Benton ignited the big fourth inning with a double to deep center. Karly Rumsky’s groundout got her home.
All of the other runs in the rally crossed the plate with two outs.
Hipps hammered a double off the left field fence and, after going to third on a passed ball, scored on Bender’s infield single.
The floodgates really opened after Bender beat the throw to second base on Ressler’s grounder and Cheek was safe on an error that cost the Lady Owls (0-5) nine runs.
Key hits during the merry-go-round were two-run singles by Alexis Bumbarger and Rumsky and a two-run double by Hipps.
By the time Warner induced the final out, every Lady Bison had at least one hit and one run scored, and seven had driven in runs.
“That’s a good game,” Danver said. “I’ve been pleased, top to bottom, how we’ve been hitting.”
Rumsky, Hipps, Bender and Bumbarger each had two hits, with Rumsky registering three RBIs and the other three having two RBIs apiece.
The Lady Bison are 4-3 for their Friday Mountain League home game against Central.
“I told them that we’re above .500; let’s try to stay there,” Danver said.
BRADFORD — 3
Mackenzee Maley cf 1100, Olivia Angell 3b 3000, Adrienne Angell 2101, Emily Warner p 2011, Haleigh Reid lf 2000, Paige Craig c 2000, Alyssa Hardy ss 1100, Katie Work 2b 2000, Desarae Luce rf 1000. TOTALS: 16 3 1 2.
CLEARFIELD — 15
Karly Rumsky cf 4223, Kylee Hertlein 2b 4110, Emma Hipps 1b 3322, Olivia Bender p 3122, Lauren Ressler c 4211, Morgan Cheek lf 3211, Casey English dp 3111, Alexis Bumbarger ss 3122, Alexis Benton rf 3210, Alyssa Twigg 3b (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 30 15 13 12.
Score by Innings
Bradford 100 1 1 – 3 1 4
Clearfield 103 (11)x – 15 13 0
E – Hardy 2, Work, Luce. PB – Craig 2, Ressler 2. DP – Clearfield 1 (Ressler and Hipps). LOB – Bradford 3; Clearfield 5. 2B – Hertlein, Hipps, Benton. 3B – Cheek. SB – Rumsky, Hipps.
Pitching
Bradford – Warner 4 IP, 13 H, 15 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
Clearfield – Bender 5 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 7 K.
WP – Warner 5; Bender 6.
W – Bender (1-0). L – Warner.
Umpires – Larry Nairn (plate) and Tom Link (bases).
Lady Bison Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/26 BALD EAGLE AREA 2 – 17 0 – 1
3/29 HUNTINGDON ppd. 0 – 1
4/01 @ Philipsburg-Osceola ppd. 0 – 1
4/02 CURWENSVILLE 9 – 1 1 – 1
4/04 TYRONE 7 – 5 2 – 1
4/06 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 1 – 3 2 – 2
4/09 @ Penns Valley 3 – 4 2 – 3
4/10 HUNTINGDON 11 – 1 3 – 3
4/11 BRADFORD 15 – 3 4 – 3
4/12 CENTRAL
4/15 @ Bellefonte
4/18 @ Bald Eagle Area
4/23 @ Huntingdon
4/26 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA
4/29 @ Tyrone
5/02 PENNS VALLEY
5/07 @ Central
5/08 HOLLIDAYSBURG
5/10 BELLEFONTE
5/13 @ Punxsutawney
5/15 @ Altoona