HYDE — Freshman Emma Hipps hurled a three-hitter and drove in the game-deciding run to lead the Clearfield Area High School softball team past Penns Valley in Mountain League action at the Bison Sports Complex Thursday afternoon.
With a season-low six strikeouts in her 13th start, and sixth victory, the hard-throwing right-hander had to rely more on her defense, though she did handle five of the Lady Rams’ 13 ground balls herself.
“That’s what we’ve been stressing the last couple weeks, just staying together and putting some complete games together,” said assistant coach Harlen Funk, who guided the Lady Bison in the absence of ailing head coach Derek Danver. “We tell them all the time there’s nine of us, and we’ve gotta make sure we’re all doing our jobs. We can’t always rely on 15 (Hipps).
“Penns Valley’s a great team, and we didn’t get the 11, 12, 14 strikeouts. But we made the plays and I think that was the difference.”
Hipps, who gave up two walks, was denied her first shutout on an unearned run in the sixth inning.
Lydia Collison led off with a grounder over third base and moved up when the ball was misplayed. She advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on Kailen Winkelblech’s hard one-hopper that Hipps deflected toward shortstop, with Kyra Mollura changing directions to make the play for the out at first base.
Clearfield’s first run also was tainted.
With one out in the second frame, Lauren Ressler’s bouncer was bobbled, Mollura cracked a double to left center and Morgan Cheek grounded out for the RBI.
The Lady Bison came right back to tally a trio of two-out runs in the third inning, that proved decisive to get them back to .500 at 7-7 and 5-6 in the league.
Karly Rumsky walked, stole second and was at third via a passed ball when Hipps pounded a double down the right field line.
“Coach Danver stresses a lot to Emma we don’t have to hit home runs to left field, we want to hit to right field,” Funk said. “Two games ago at Tyrone, she went to the opposite field twice. So, she’s starting to trust everything we’re preaching to make her a better all-around player, and it’s showing.”
Hipps went to third on a wild pitch during a walk to Olivia Bender, and courtesy runner Alexis Benton stole second before Ressler blasted her way out of a mini-slump with a double to left field for two RBIs.
“Lauren’s a gamer,” Funk said. “She’s the type of girl who just puts her head down and works. She obviously wasn’t happy with the results the past few weeks, but she stepped up in a big moment there and delivered. She almost did again toward the end of the game when she had runners on and smashed one, but it just was right at somebody.”
Several teammates also were unable to find a hole in the solid Penns Valley (7-8, 4-7 ML) defense though barreling up against Bumgardner, who allowed six hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Hipps added a fifth-inning single for her ninth two-hit game, while Alexis Bumbarger had the Lady Bison’s fourth double.
“We hit the ball hard a lot right at people,” Funk said. “I felt we could have scored a lot more runs.”
The Lady Bison are booked for four game next week, starting with a trip to Bellefonte Monday in the makeup of an April 15 postponement.
Moshannon Valley standings — Bald Eagle Area 10-2, Philipsburg-Osceola 8-2, Tyrone 6-4, Central 6-6, Clearfield 5-6, Bellefonte 5-6, Penns Valley 4-7, Huntingdon 0-11.
PENNS VALLEY — 1
Lydia Collison 2b 3120, Kaylah Thompson ss 2000, Kendra Bumgardner p 1000, Kailen Winkerblech lf 3001, Avelyn Van Heyst cf 3000, Ryan Thompson 1b 3010, Jordan Anderson c 3000, Ryleigh Cain 3b 3000, Allie O’Brien dp 2000, Devan Stoner 1b (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 23 1 3 1.
CLEARFIELD — 4
Karly Rumsky cf 2100, Alexis Bumbarger rf 3010, Emma Hipps p 2100, Olivia Bender c 2100, Lauren Ressler 1b 3112, Kyra Mollura ss 300, Morgan Cheek lf 3001, Alexis Benton pr 0000, Kylee Hertlein 2b 3000. TOTALS: 25 4 6 4.
Score by Innings
Penns Valley 000 001 0 – 1 3 1
Clearfield 013 000 x – 4 6 1
E – Collison; Cheek. PB – Anderson; Bender. LOB – Penns Valley 4; Clearfield 5. 2B – Bumbarger, Hipps, Ressler, Mollura. Sac – K. Thompson. SB – Benton.
Pitching
Penns Valley – Bumgardner 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
Clearfield – Hipps 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
WP – Bumgardner 1.
W – Hipps (6-7). L – Bumgardner (2-5).
Umpires – Joe Shick (plate) and Kenny Knepp (bases).
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 ppd. 4 – 3
4/15 @ Bellefonte ppd. 4 – 3
4/16 CENTRAL 4 – 1 5 – 3
4/18 @ Bald Eagle Area 0 – 9 5 – 4
4/22 @ Glendale 2 – 6, 9 inn. 5 – 5
4/23 @ Huntingdon 9 – 4 6 – 5
4/26 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA ppd. 6 – 5
4/29 @ Tyrone 0 – 1 6 – 6
4/30 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 1 – 4 6 – 7
5/02 PENNS VALLEY 4 – 1 7 – 7
5/06 @ Bellefonte
5/07 @ Central
5/08 HOLLIDAYSBURG
5/10 BELLEFONTE
5/13 @ Punxsutawney
5/15 @ Altoona
