HOLLIDAYSBURG – Another game, another win for the Lady Bison softball team as Clearfield picked up an impressive 5-1 win over Mountain League opponent Hollidaysburg.
The Clearfield offense scored early and often, chasing Hollidaysburg’s Olivia Vincent in just her second inning of work after five runs crossed the plate. The Lady Bison struck first in the top of the first inning as with one away, Emma Hipps walked and eventually stole second. She moved up 60 feet on a base-hit from Lauren Ressler and eventually scored the game’s first run on a single to center from cleanup hitter Olivia Bender.
Clearfield would continue to put the pressure on the home team in the top of the second as Alexis Benton singled to start the half-inning and Kylee Hertlein walked. Alexis Bumbarger was looking for a sacrifice-bunt next, but she hustled it out to load the bases with nobody away.
After the first out of the inning for Clearfield, Ruby Singleton smacked a two-run single to right that scored Benton and Hertlein to make it a three-run lead with another run just 60 feet away.
With runners on the corners, Hipps came through with an RBI single of her own that scored Bumbarger to make it 4-0. A third straight single came off of the bat of Ressler as lead-off batter Singleton scurried home to make it the fourth run of the inning and extend the lead to 5-0.
While it was the last run of the game for Clearfield, it was not quite the last run of the game overall. Abigail Steiner hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the fifth inning, the lone hit for the Lady Tigers. It was also the lone run given up by Hipps in the past fife games. Madison Alexey had an impressive relief pitching performance, giving up no runs and one hit in 5 1/3 innings of work.
The solo homer was the only hit surrendered by Hipps as the senior ace continued with dominant pitching in the circle. She recorded more strikeouts, including punching out eight of the last nine batters she faced to finish the game with 18 for the game.
Overall, Ressler was three-for-four at the dish for the Lady Bison, while Singleton, Bender, and Hipps helped to drive in all five of the runs for the Lady Bison in this mid-week win.
The win sees Clearfield improve to 7-0 on the season, with their next game coming on Thursday, April 28 against Bald Eagle Area. The game is set for a 4:30 first-pitch time from the Lady Bison softball field.
CLEARFIELD – 5
Ruby Singleton (CF) 4112 Emma Hipps (P) 3111, Lauren Ressler (1B) 4031 Olivia Bender (C) 4011, Alaina Fedder (SS) 3000, Alexis Benton (RF) 3110, Kylee Hertlein (2B) 2100, Alexis Bumbarger (3B) 3110, Alexis Cole (LF) 2000. TOTALS 28 5 8 5.
Batting
TB: Olivia Bender, Alexis Benton, Alexis Bumbarger, Emma Hipps, Lauren Ressler 3, Ruby Singleton
RBI: Olivia Bender, Emma Hipps, Lauren Ressler, Ruby Singleton 2
ROE: Lauren Ressler
SB: Emma Hipps, Ruby Singleton
CS: Anna Twigg
Fielding
E: Alexis Bumbarger
HOLLIDAYSBURG – 1
Madison Alexey (RF/P) 3000, Brianna Dawson (SS) 3000, Olivia Vincent (P/RF) 3000, Sydney Shay (C) 3000, Abigail Steiner (2B) 2111, Maria Malone (DP) 2000, Alexis Peacock (3B) 2000, Kyla Hatch (1B) 2000, Olivia Knab (LF) 2000, Kaelyn Neeley (CF/FLEX) 0000. TOTALS 22 1 1 1.
Batting
HR: Abigail Steiner
TB: Abigail Steiner 4
RBI: Abigail Steiner
ROE: Olivia Vincent
Fielding
E: Brianna Dawson
Score by Inning
Clearfield 1 4 0 0 0 0 0.
Hollidaysburg 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.
Pitching
Clearfield
Emma Hipps 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 18 K, 1 HR.
Hollidaysburg
Olivia Vincent 1.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, K.
Madison Elexey 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, K.
W – Emma Hipps (7-0). L – Olivia Vincent
