DUBOIS – Looking for a third-straight District 9 title, the Clearfield Lady Bison had stiff competition in the Lady Dutch from St. Marys Area High School. Having lost to the Lady Dutch earlier in the season, Clearfield was looking to win when it truly counted, and with two early runs and Emma Hipps in the circle, it was the magic formula to help Clearfield avenge an earlier loss to the Lady Dutch and become District 9 champions for the third time in four years.
The 4-1 win over the Lady Dutch marked a third consecutive District 9 crown, but there was a one-year hiatus in this three-peat with 2020 seeing the softball season get cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one-year layoff does not make it any less significant as this group of seniors has helped bring the Lady Bison softball program to new heights. It is the group’s third District 9 title in as many tries and serves as win number 18 for this team for the season.
The top three hitters in the Lady Bison lineup in Hipps, Ruby Singleton, and Lauren Ressler collected all five of the team’s hits in the game. A leadoff double by Hipps got the Lady Bison started in the bottom of the first inning. A one-out triple to left field from Ressler saw Hipps score to make it a 1-0 lead. In the Ressler at-bat, an illegal pitch was called, giving her another chance to come through after she flew out. The opportunity was one Ressler cashed in on and was a big swing in the favor of Clearfield.
An Oliva Bender sac-fly helped Ressler cross home plate during the next at-bat as a 2-0 lead early in the game set the tone and gave the home team on the scoreboard all the momentum they would need.
Hipps cruised in the circle, picking up 13 punch-outs for the game to see her season total grow to 239 overall. Mixing her pitches well and showing excellent control, she surrendered just four hits and gave up only one free-pass to the visitors. Now at 17 wins for the season, Hipps adds another single-season record to her credit.
“She threw a great game,” said Lady Bison Head Coach Derek Danver. “There were some situations where they put some pressure on us, but she was just able to clamp down. It seems like in situations when there are runners on base in big games she really locks in and is even more dominant in those times. There were a couple times tonight where they started putting pressure on us, but she closed the door on them.”
The one run for St. Marys came in the top of the fourth as they cut into the 2-0 lead and made it just a one-run game. With two outs, Jianna Gerg hit a ball to second and reached on an error by the Lady Bison. This allowed pinch-runner Sophia Benjamin to score to make it 2-1. Despite the jam, Hipps remained focused and got her team out of the inning with minimal damage done.
The bottom of the fifth was when the Lady Bison made their next move offensively to extend their narrow lead. Hipps was intentionally walked to being the half-inning, and she quickly advanced to third on a double off the bat of Singleton, who set the Lady Bison season hit record with her 38th.
Ressler got the job done once again with an RBI groundout to first that scored Hipps and moved Singleton up to third to make it a 3-1 game. After the second out of the inning, heads-up base running by Singleton allowed her to score on a wild pitch that went backwards on the delivery to home to score the last run of the game.
“It was so heads up on Ruby’s (Singleton) part,” said Danver. “She didn’t hesitate. As soon as that ball came out of her hand, Ruby was home before I could even process what was going on.”
Despite base runners from St. Marys in both the top of the sixth and seventh, Clearfield worked through any threat to come away with the 4-1 victory and keep their 2022 season alive.
Now with an 18-3 record, the D9 AAAA champion Lady Bison have their eyes set on the ultimate prize of finishing the season as PIAA state champions. The next team in their path to get there is still to be determined. The loser of the Franklin vs. Villa Maria matchup from the District 10 championship game will play Clearfield in the opening round of the state tournament at a District 9 site.
There will be a long layoff for the Lady Bison as the next game in their season is on Monday, June 6 between those two previously mentioned teams. The District 10 title game will take place on Memorial Day. With no other programs entering from their sub-region, the Lady Bison face an even longer layoff than usual. Despite this, this team has seven seniors and an extensive collection of experience they will hopefully use to take them on a long ride through states despite any hurdles out of their control.
ST. MARYS – 1
Rosa Deprater (3B) 3010, Olivia Eckles (2B) 3000, Kendall Young (P) 3010, Kara Hanslovan (SS) 3010, Gianna Surra (C) 2000, Jianna Gerg (CF) 3010, Lindsay Reiter (1B) 3000, Lauren Mosier (RF) 3000, Danielle Rolley (LF) 3000, Sophia Benjamin (PR) 0100. TOTALS 26 1 4 0.
Batting
2B: Rosa Deprater, Jianna Gerg
TB: Rosa Deprater 2, Kendall Young, Kara Hanslovan, Jianna Gerg 2
ROE: Lindsey Reiter, Jianna Gerg
CLEARFIELD – 4
Emma Hipps (P) 1210, Ruby Singleton (CF) 3120, Lauren Ressler (1B) 3122, Olivia Bender (C) 1001, Alaina Fedder (SS) 3000, Alexis Bumbarger (3B) 3000, Kylee Hertlein (2B) 3000, Alexis Benton (RF) 1000, Alexis Cole (DH) 2000, Anna Twigg (LF) 0000. TOTALS 20 4 5 3.
Batting
2B: Emma Hipps, Lauren Ressler, Ruby Singleton
3B: Lauren Ressler
TB: Emma Hipps 2, Lauren Ressler 5, Ruby Singleton 3
RBI: Olivia Bender, Lauren Ressler 2
SF: Olivia Bender
HBP: Alexis Benton 2
CS: Emma Hipps
PIK: Alexis Benton
Fielding
E: Kylee Hertlein, Lauren Ressler
Score by Inning
St. Marys 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.
Clearfield 2 0 0 0 2 0 x.
Pitching
Clearfield
Emma Hipps 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 13 K.
St. Marys
Kendall Young 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 K.
W – Emma Hipps (17-2). L – Kendall Young.