Hipps Completes No-Hitter in Game One; Bats Come Alive in Game Two as Lady Bison Improve to 16-2

CLEARFIELD – A no-hitter is rare. A no-hitter that takes two seperate days to complete is even more so. It is also not a common occurrence when a player gets two wins in one day as a pitcher. But, that’s exactly what happened Monday as Emma Hipps completed a no-hitter that she started last week against Penns Valley and came in to pick up the win in relief in game number two of the day.

The Lady Bison improved to 16-2 overall with the season sweep of Penns Valley as Hipps picked up two more wins, giving her sole possession of the most in Clearfield softball history with 41 wins in three seasons played over four years of high school.

Game One

Needing nine more outs coming into the first game that was delayed because of weather last week, Hipps added to her strikeout total, finishing with 19 punch outs to help the Lady Bison pick up a 4-0 win.

Leading 3-0 after four full innings, the Lady Bison picked up one more insurance run in the top of the seventh in case of any crazy late rallies from Penns Valley. Hipps made sure that did not happen as she struck out the final three batters of the game to pick up win number 14 of the season to her credit.

Ten total hits from the Lady Bison helped to provide enough offense as five Lady Bison each had multi-hit games in the game one victory. Hipps, Alexis Bumbarger, Ruby Singleton, Alexis Benton, and Kylee Hertlein each picked up two hits to their credit in the win.

Clearfield scored a quick run in the first inning as Emma Hipps began the game with a single and moved over to second on a ground out by Bumbarger. Singleton came through with a single next, putting runners at the corners with one out. Hipps was plated on an RBI ground out by Lauren Ressler to open the game at 1-0.

A two-run top of the third helped Clearfield extend their lead to 3-0 as Hipps hit a lead-off triple. Bumbarger hit into a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and third with nobody out. Ruby Singleton bounced into a fielder’s choice next, with Hipps scoring and Bumbarger moving into second. On the play, Bumbarger also moved over to third.

Ressler was up next for Clearfield, getting the job done with an RBI ground out to third to make it 3-0.

After a scoreless middle part of the game, Clearfield pushed their last run across as Alexis Bumbarger doubled to kick-start the seventh inning. Singleton singled next, allowing Bumbarger to move to third. After a Clearfield out, Alaina Fedder hit a sacrifice-fly to right field that scored Bumbarger to plate the last run of the game and help the Lady Bison pick up win number 15 of the year.

CLEARFIELD – 4

Emma Hipps (P) 4220, Alexis Bumbarger (3B) 4120, Ruby Singleton (CF) 4121, Lauren Ressler (C/1B) 3002, Alaina Fedder (1B/SS) 3001, Alexis Benton (RF) 4020, Kylee Hertlein (SS/2B) 4020, Anna Twigg (LF) 3000, Paige Houser (2B) 2000, Olivia Bender (C) 1000, Alexis Cole (PR) 0000, Eve Siegel (PR) 0000. TOTALS 32 4 10 4.

Batting

2B: Alexis Bumbarger
3B: Emma Hipps
TB: Alexis Benton 2, Alexis Bumbarger 3, Kylee Hertlein 2, Emma Hipps 4, Ruby Singleton 2
RBI: Alaina Fedder, Lauren Ressler 2, Ruby Singleton
SF: Alaina Fedder
ROE: Anna Twigg 2
FC: Alexis Bumbarger, Paige Houser, Ruby Singleton
SB: Emma Hipps, Ruby Singleton 3
CS: Alexis Bumbarger

Fielding

E: Alaina Fedder, Paige Houser

PENNS VALLEY – 0

Scottie Dinges (RF) 2000, Noelle Webb (2B) 2000, Lauren McMurtrie (2B) 1000, Kailen Winkelblech (3B) 3000, Avelyn Von Heyst (SS) 3000, Ellie Coursen (C) 3000, Taylor Bumgardner (P) 3000, Clara Brooks (CF) 3000, Haylee Davis (1B), Jozie Reed (DP) 2000, Gracie Riddle (LF) 0000. TOTALS 24 0 0 0.

Batting

ROE: Kailen Winkelblech, Avelyn Von Heyst
SB: Scottie Dinges

Fielding

E: Clara Brooks, Lauren McMuturie

Score by Inning

Clearfield 1 0 2 0 0 0 1.
Penns Valley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.

Pitching

Clearfield

Emma Hipps 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 19 K.

Penns Valley

Taylor Bumgardner

7 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K.

W – Emma Hipps (14-1). L – Taylor Bumbardner.

Game Two

The Lady Bison picked up a come-from-behind victory in the second game as they secured a season sweep with a 7-6 win over the Lady Rams. Leading early 2-0, Clearfield trailed by as much as 5-2 in the top of the third, but being behind did not phase the home squad as they scored five of the last six runs of the game to rally and pick up the win.

Alaina Fedder got the nod in the circle in the second game of the double-header, picking up three strikeouts over four innings in a no-decision. Hipps came in after four innings, striking out eight more batters and not surrendering a hit to pick up the win for Clearfield.

Seven different Clearfield batters found the hit column in the game two victory, with Ruby Singleton leading the way with three hits, including a double and three runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Hipps blasted two home runs in the game and added three total RBIs.

Lauren Ressler, Olivia Bender, Alexis Bumbarger, Alexis Benton, and Anna Twigg each found the hit column for the Lady Bison in the team’s second win of the day.

After three runs from the Lady Rams in the top of the second and two more in the top of the third, a season split looked likely, but there was no quit in Clearfield as the bottom of the third started with a solo homer from Hipps, her second in as many at-bats to shrink the Penns Valley lead to 5-3.

Lauren Ressler was up after Hipps, smacking a base-knock to right to continue the inning. Ressler moved to second on a fielding error and later scored on a single to center with two outs off the bat of Bumbarger to make it just a one-run game.

Penns Valley added their sixth run in the top of the fourth, getting one back to increase their advantage back to two runs. However, the lead was not safe as Clearfield scored two in the next half-inning to knot the score at 6-6.

With one out, Anna Twigg reached on a single to left to start the rally. Singleton was up next and picked up another single to put two runners on and one down. With Hipps intentionally walked to load the bases, the strategy from Penns Valley worked to get the second out, getting the lead runner at home with now just one out needed to get out of the jam.

However, an error did not allow for the Lady Rams to get out of the inning without giving up the game tying run. Olivia Bender reached on the error and Singleton and Hipps came around to score to knot the game up.

With Hipps cruising in the circle, the Lady Bison needed just one more run to get the lead back. They would get it in the bottom of the sixth inning as Singleton doubled to start the inning and Hipps was intentionally walked for the second consecutive time. Lauren Ressler did her job by advancing both Singleton and Hipps 60 feet to put two runners in scoring position with just one out.

A pop-up was just what Penns Valley needed for the second out, but the Lady Bison had one more crack to push number seven across to take the lead back. Singleton was paying attention on the base paths, scoring on a wild pitch to make it a 7-6 lead, a lead the home team would not relinquish on way to a narrow 7-6 comeback win.

The 16-2 Lady Bison will have a big test Tuesday as they take on Central Mountain in Mill Hall. Tomorrow evening’s game is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be a solid tune-up game leading into the District 9 playoffs.

PENNS VALLEY – 6

Scottie Dinges (RF) 4010, Taylor Pumgardner (P) 4011, Avelyn Von Heyst (SS) 3110, Kailen Winkleblach (3B) 2001, Ellie Coursen (C) 4010, Jozie Reed (LF) 3211, Haylee Davis (1B) 0000, Lauren McMurtrie (1B) 3210, Clara Brooks (CF) 3000, Gracie Riddle (2B) 2111. TOTALS 28 6 7 4.

Batting

2B: Avelyn Von Heyst, Taylor Baumgardner
HR: Jozie Reed
TB: Scottie Dinges, Avelyn Von Heyst 2, Ellie Coursen, Taylor Baumgardner 2, Gracie Riddle, Jozie Reed 4, Lauren McMuturie
RBI: Kailen Winkelblech, Taylor Baumgardner, Gracie Riddle, Jozie Reed
ROE: Ellie Coursen
HBP: Gracie Riddle
SB: Scottie Dinges

Fielding

E: Scottie Dinges 2, Avelyn Von Heyst, Jozie Reed

CLEARFIELD – 7

Ruby Singleton (CF) 4330, Emma Hipps (SS/P) 2323, Lauren Ressler (1B) 4110, Olivia Bender (C) 4010, Alaina Fedder (P/SS) 4000, Alexis Bumbarger (3B) 3011, Alexis Benton (RF) 2010, Kylee Hertlein (2B) 3010, Anna Twigg (LF) 3010, Alexis Cole (DP) 0000, Paige Houser (PR) 0000. TOTALS 29 7 11 4.

Batting

2B: Ruby Singleton
HR: Emma Hipps 2
TB: Olivia Bender, Alexis Benton, Alexis Bumbarger, Kylee Hertlein, Emma Hipps 8, Lauren Ressler, Ruby Singleton 4, Anna Twigg
RBI: Alexis Bumbarger, Emma Hipps 3
SAC: Alexis Benton
ROE: Olivia Bender, Alexis Bumbarger
FC: Lauren Ressler, Ruby Singleton
GIDP: Alaina Fedder

Fielding

E: Emma Hipps, Ruby Singleton

Score by Inning

Penns Valley 0 3 2 1 0 0 0.
Clearfield 2 0 2 2 0 1 x.

Pitching

Penns Valley

Taylor Bumgardner

6 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR.

Clearfield

Alaina Fedder 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HR.
Emma Hipps 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K.

W – Emma Hipps (15-1). L – Taylor Bumgardner.