The Lady Bisons got a clutch two-run home run from an under-the-weather B.J. Bowman and a solid pitching performance from Andrea Butler, who was throwing with a blister, in the 11‑9 victory over Hollidaysburg.

Every starter scored at least one run, while eight different Lady Bisons had at least one hit as Clearfield got contributions up and down the lineup.

"It was a good, solid team effort," Clearfield head coach Bob Dixon said. "The girls didn't quit. They just won't give up. They play hard. I'm really proud of them. They deserve the win. They've been battling all season, and finally got one under their belts. I can't be happier for them."

Bowman had the biggest swing of the game when she took a two-ball, two-strike pitch from Lady Tiger Kelsey Salyards and parked it well beyond the centerfield fence, breaking a 9‑9 tie in the sixth inning and completing Clearfield's third comeback of the game.

The home run was Bowman's third of the season.

"We were planning on throwing B.J., but I found out she was sick at school all day," Dixon said. "She came to the field and warmed up and was going to give it a go. But then she felt like she couldn't pitch. But she played dp for us. You can't take that bat out of the lineup ... even sick, we need her."

Butler scattered seven hits and surrendered all nine runs, but only two were earned as the Clearfield defense made six costly errors in the third and fourth innings. Hollidaysburg plated seven unearned runs in those two frames.

Butler struck out four batters and turned a pair of double plays, including one to end the game. She caught a sharp liner off the bat of Megan Bettwi, then turned and fired to first baseman Suzie Colesar to double off Salyards, who reached base on a walk.

"Andrea went out and threw a whale of a game," Dixon said. "She battled all game long. I think she got a little tired late in the game. The blister bothered her some, but she worked through it."

Clearfield started the scoring with two in the bottom of the second inning. Chantel Read belted a double to left field in the inning, plating Butler and Courtney Morgan.

Hollidaysburg responded with four unearned runs in the top of the third.

The Lady Tigers loaded the bases on two singles and a fielder's choice, but Butler got the next two batters to pop out. The second out was a popup behind home plate that Read made a great play on.

"She's working hard back there. And she's pretty good with the stick," Dixon said of his catcher.

But Clearfield was unable to get out of the inning when it committed three errors on the next play that not only allowed Hollidaysburg batter Jackie Smith to score, but also circle the bases along with the three runners in front of her.

That gave Hollidaysburg a 4‑2 lead.

"We were so close to being out of it (the third-inning jam), Dixon said. "We just made a bad play. But as I said before, they didn't quit."

Clearfield tied the game in the bottom of the third inning, only to see two more errors cost it three more Hollidaysburg runs in the top of the fourth.

Janell Zalno and Colesar each hit doubles in the inning, and both girls were able to advance to third base and home on Salyards' wild pitches. The Lady Tiger pitcher uncorked seven wild pitches in the game.

After Hollidaysburg's three-run fourth made the score, 7‑4, the Lady Bisons again tied things up.

Read walked and Laura Jean Hill and Mia Keener each singled. Read scored on a passed ball and Hill came home on another Salyards wild pitch. Melinda Owens chased Keener home with an RBI groundout.

Hollidaysburg scored its first and only two earned runs in the top of the fifth inning as a Salyards double scored Jackie Smith - who also doubled - and Amber Lemus, who was hit by a Butler pitch.

Suzie Colesar got one of those runs back in the home half of the inning. She drew a four-pitch walk from Salyards, then advanced around the bases on three passed balls. The last allowed her to score the fifth Lady Bison run courtesy of either a wild pitch or passed ball.

"It's tough to score here because the backstop is so close," Dixon said of the runs off wild pitches and passed balls. "A lot of times they'll nail you. Every run was huge."

Butler retired Hollidaysburg on three pitches in the sixth. She gave up a single to Mackenzie Walter on the first pitch of the inning, but erased her from the base paths on the next one. Butler caught a soft liner off the bat of Meredith Smith then doubled-off Walter. Butler's third pitch ended with a fly-ball out to right fielder Sophia Reed.

"That was big to get us off the field," Dixon said. "We needed a break like that and have them throw up a goose egg and give us a chance to get ahead of them."

Owens doubled in Keener to tie the game, 9‑9, in the sixth before Bowman put the Lady Bisons ahead for good with one swing of her bat. Her towering blast scored Owens in front of her, giving Clearfield the eventual 11‑9 win.

Clearfield (1‑4) returns to action Monday, playing host to Williamsport.

Hollidaysburg-9
Walter rf 4022, M. Smith ss 4000, J. Smith 1b 4210, Lemus cf 3100, Salyards p 2112, Bettwi lf 3110, Power c 1110, Fleck 3b 3210, Claar 2b 3100. Totals: 27‑9‑7‑4.

Clearfield-11
Zalno cf 4110, Owens ss 4112, B. Bowman dp 3112, S. Colesar 1b 2210, A. Butler p 2110, Morgan 2b 3100, Read c 2112, Hill lf 3120, Adamson 3b 1000, Keener 3b 1210, Reed rf (flex) 0000. Totals: 25‑11‑9‑6.

Score by Innings
Hollidaysburg                         0043200- 9 7 2
Clearfield                              022313x-11 9 6

Errors-Salyards 2; Read, Butler 2, Adamson 2, Hill. LOB-Hollidaysburg 3, Clearfield 2. DP-Clearfield 2. 2B-J. Smith, Salyards; Read, Zalno, Colesar, Owens. 3B-Walter. HR-Bowman (6th, 1 on). SAC-Bettwi, Power 2; Keener. SB-Fleck 2. HBP-Lemus (by Butler). WP-Salyards 7; Butler 1. PB-Power 4.

Pitching
Hollidaysburg: Salyards-6 IP, 9 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO.
Clearfield: Butler-7 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO.

WP-Butler (1‑3). LP-Salyards.

Time-1:35.