The Lady Bisons had strayed from that formula during a two-game losing streak but got back on track Thursday at the Bison Sports Complex, blanking Brookville, 2-0.

Clearfield pitcher Mandy Rowles tossed a complete-game, one-hitter and her defense stood up behind her a day after committing five errors that led to six unearned runs.

"We always preach pitching and defense," Dixon said. "We played real good defense and got good pitching, and we won the ball game. You don't have to score a lot ... if the other team doesn't score you can't lose. When you don't make mistakes, they (games) can be easy."

Rowles was on her game, throwing 67 of her 88 pitches for strikes. She struck out 10 Lady Raiders and didn't issue a walk. Rowles struck out the side in the first inning and fanned at least two batters in three other innings.

She only needed three pitches to retire the side in the sixth, as second baseman Alanna Luzier took care of two grounders and Megan Butler grabbed the other one.

"Mandy threw a real good game," Dixon said. "She was all around the plate, and she hit her mark real well tonight."

Brookville got a solid pitching performance in its own right as Leah Dietrich, who has been a thorn in the Lady Bisons' sides during her career, allowed just two runs on five hits. She didn't give up a walk and struck out two.

"That Dietrich girl is a tough little nut against us," Dixon said. "She does a nice job. She beat us twice last year, so I guess we owe her a little bit."

After two scoreless innings, Clearfield broke through in the third.

Luzier singled to centerfield with one out. She stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on an Ashley Lias base hit.

Rowles and Dietrich dominated through the middle innings, keeping the score 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth when the Lady Bisons tacked on an insurance run.

Butler led off the inning with a double to left-center field. Lady Raider centerfielder Brianne Dietrich made a running stab at the ball and did get her glove on it, but couldn't make the circus catch.

After a Lias groundout, Butler moved to third on an error by the Brookville catcher. Rowles followed with a single to right field that plated Butler.

"We had just enough hits," Dixon said.

"I was nervous late in the game because one run isn't a lot in a ball game like this. That insurance run made me feel a lot better."

Clearfield (9-4) is back in action Tuesday, playing host to St. Marys.

NOTES: In one stretch from the top of the fifth inning through the bottom of the sixth, Rowles and Dietrich combined to get seven outs on eight pitches ... Brookville's Shannon Shaffer broke up Rowles' bid for a perfect game, reaching on Clearfield's only error in the top of the second and then broke up her no-hitter with a base hit in the fifth. Brookville did not get another runner on base.

Brookville-0
Liebman ss 3000, T. Shaffer rf 3000, L. Dietrich p 3000, Keth c 3000, Rackovan 3b 3000, S. Shaffer 1b 2010, McManigle 2b 2000, Fulmer lf 1000, Ross ph 1000, B. Dietrich cf 2000. Totals: 23-0-1-0.

Clearfield-2
Luzier 2b 3110, Butler 3b 3110, Lias ss 3011, Rowles p 3011, J. Colesar 1b 3000, Anderson cf 3010, ,McGovern c 2000, Morgan rf 2000, Harbold dp 2000, Kovalick (flex) p 0000. Totals: 24-2-5-2.

Score by Innings
Brookville                                 000 000 0-0 1 2
Clearfield                                 001 001 x-2 5 1

Errors-B. Dietrich, Keth; J. Colesar. LOB-Brookville 2, Clearfield 4. 2B-Butler. SB-S. Shaffer; Luzier. WP-Rowles 2. PB-Keth.

Pitching
Brookville: L. Dietrich-6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO.
Clearfield: Rowles-7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO.

WP-Rowles (9-4). LP-L. Dietrich.
Time-1:08.