HUNTINGDON — On a beautiful day for some ball, the fans definitely got their money’s worth at the Clearfield Lady Bison at Huntingdon Lady Bearcat game on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Bison stormed out to a 9-1 lead after four and a half innings, only to see the Lady Bearcats claw their way into the game scoring eight runs over the final three innings, and almost won the game in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings; but the Lady Bison plated a run in the top of the tenth and then held off the home team in dramatic fashion to up their record to 4-8 on the season, while dropping Huntingdon to 7-5.
Clearfield scored two runs in the second inning to start the lighting up of the scoreboard.
After an out, Alexus Green and Anna Twigg worked Huntingdon starting pitcher Alivia Nicklow for back-to-back walks. Paige Houser then bunted them over to put two runners in scoring position with two outs. Haley Billotte then walked to load the bases. The Clearfield hit queen Ruby Singleton drove a double to center that scored two.
The visitors seemed to have the game well in hand, though, after their 6-spot in the third inning.
Madi McBride and Aevril Hayward both singled to right to start the inning. Eve Siegel then laid a bunt down the first base line that turned into an infield single to load the bases. Sam Campolong then clubbed a double to left field to make it 4-0, still with two runners in scoring position. Green then lofted a sacrifice fly to right field that was dropped to score Siegel and make it 5-0. After Huntingdon picked up two out with no further scoring, Billotte lined a single to center to make it 6-0. Two more two-out clutch singles by Singleton and McBride made it 8-0.
Huntingdon plated a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it 8-1, but the visitors answered right back with a run of their own in the top of the fifth via a ground ball error off the bat of Singleton, scoring Twigg who had doubled to lead off the inning.
There was no quit in the Lady Bearcats as momentum swung in their favor as they knocked starting pitcher Meg Wisor from the game, then knocked relief pitcher Joell Henry from the game, only to have Wisor return during wild fifth and sixth innings that saw seven runs cross the plate to make it 9-8 Clearfield after six full innings.
But it was the seventh inning until the end when things got a little crazy as momentum pendulumed back and forth the rest of the way.
Green reached on an error, and both Twigg and Houser walked to load the bases with none out. However, Nicklow forced three consecutive pop outs to end the inning and keep the home team in it.
Emma Royer started the bottom of the seventh with a single, which was followed by a walk to put the tying and winning runs on base with none out. After an out, a wild pitch put both of those runs in scoring position. The Lady Bison coaches then decided to intentionally walk the next batter to set up a force at every base, but with the inning run on second. The next batter then tied the game with a fielder’s choice where Clearfield allowed a run to tie the game, but got an out at third. Wisor then beaned the Huntingdon catcher in the back of the head, loading the bases once again as the winning run was now only 60 feet away. Nicklow then flew out into the right field foul ball area to end the threat and send the game into extra innings all tied at nine.
The top of the tenth saw Hayward reach on an error and Siegel move her over to second with a sac bunt. During a ground ball out, Hayward advanced to third. With two outs, pinch hitter Raigan Uncles then placed a perfect bunt down the third base line, only to have Hayward called out at the plate on a bang-banger, swinging momentum to the home squad, who now only needed a single run to win the game.
Isabella Reynolds led off the inning with a single, putting the winning run on base with nobody out. Wisor then picked up a big strikeout before Royer grounded out, advancing Reynolds to second with the potential winning run. Wisor then walked Peyton Hillard and beaned another batter, Charlotte Kyle, to re-load the bases. The final out of the inning was once again recorded on a fly ball to right fielder Siegel.
In the top of the ninth, the Lady Bison managed to get two runners on via a walk to Twigg, her third of the game, and an infield single by Singleton. Nicklow once again wiggled her way out via a strikeout and fielder’s choice.
The Lady Bearcats did get the winning run to first base with one out, but Wisor induced a fly ball out and a swinging strikeout to end the inning.
In the top of the tenth inning, the International Tie-Breaker comes into play and the Lady Bison got to start the inning with McBride on second. On the second pitch of the inning, Hayward lined one over the centerfielder’s head to trade places with McBride and give the Lady Bison a 10-9 lead. Nicklow then got three quick outs, finishing the inning with 173 pitches thrown thus far.
Reynolds was then placed at second to start the bottom of the tenth for the home squad. Wisor then struck out the next batter, leaving the tying run on second. A ground ball to Billotte at first picked up the second out of the inning, but Renolds injured herself advancing and rounding third base, as Billotte threw across the infield to an awaiting Campolong who applied the easy tag to the prone Reynolds, ending the chippy three hour affair 10-9 in favor of the visitors.
The Lady Bison now get a day off to recover before hosting Greater Johnstown (1-12) on Friday for Senior Recognition Night.
Clearfield 026 010 000 1 – 10 11 4
Huntingdon 000 143 100 0 – 9 14 5
CLEARFIELD — 10
CF Ruby Singleton 6033, LF Madi McBride 6221, SS Aevril Hayward 6121, RF Eve Siegel 5110, 3B Sam Campolong 5112, DP Alexus Green 2201, DP Raigan Uncles 2000, C Anna Twigg 2210, 2B Paige Houser 2000, 1B Haley Billotte 4111, P/flex Megan Wisor 0000, P/flex Joell Henry 0000, TOTALS 40 10 11 9\
2B – Hayward, Twigg, Singleton, Campolong. SF – Green. Sac – Houser – 2, Siegel. CS – McBride. E – Hayward – 3, Twigg.
HUNTINGDON — 9
SS Julia Foster 5210, CF Alivia Edwards 5224, C Izadore Kazmarski 5131, P Alivia Nicklow 6031, 1B Isabella Reynolds 6031, RF Leah Beck 6010, 2B Emma Royer 6110, DP Peyton Hillard 2000, LF Charlotte Kyle 4200, 3B/flex Kennedy Williams 0000, TOTALS 45 9 14 7
2B – Edwards, Nicklow, Kazmarski. HBP – Kyle, Kazmarski. SB – Kazmarski. E – Foster – 3, Kyle, Beck.
Pitching
Wisor (W) 9 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 HBP, 8 K
Henry 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Nicklow (L) 10 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 10 K
LADY BISON SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/19 @ Central ppd. 0 – 0
3/21 BELLEFONTE ppd. 0 – 0
3/22 @ Central 7 – 13 0 – 1
3/25 BELLEFONTE 3 – 17 0 – 2
3/28 TYRONE 13 – 16 0 – 3
4/02 @ Hollidaysburg ppd. 0 – 3
4/05 SOMERSET ppd. 0 – 3
4/09 HUNTINGDON 5 – 8 0 – 4
4/11 GREATER JOHNSTOWN ppd. 0 – 4
4/12 @ Forest Hills ppd. 0 – 4
4/16 @ Philipsburg-Osceola 6 – 2 1 – 4
4/18 ST. MARYS 0 – 12 1 – 5
4/19 DUBOIS ppd. 1 – 5
4/22 BELLWOOD-ANTIS 13 – 3 2 – 5
4/23 @ Penns Valley 10 – 15 2 – 6
4/24 @ Forest Hills 0 – 3 2 – 7
4/26 @ Bishop Carroll 12 – 1 3 – 7
4/30 BALD EAGLE AREA 0 – 10 3 – 8
5/01 @ Huntingdon 10 – 9, 10 inn. 4 – 8
5/03 GREATER JOHNSTOWN
5/06 SOMERSET
5/07 CENTRAL
5/09 @ Bellefonte
5/13 @ Hollidaysburg
5/14 BRADFORD
5/15 PUNXSUTAWNEY