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Blaylock sparks Lady Bisons
Saturday, May 22, 2010
By Josh Mlot Sports Writer
HYDE - Look on the bright side - sometimes easy can be overrated.
What looked to be a regular season-ending walkthrough for the Clearfield softball team Friday after a quick, 5-0 first-inning lead, turned into a pressure-cooker final exam. And the Lady Bisons passed the test.
Clearfield let a five-run advantage slip away with Altoona tying things up in the top of the seventh, but Melinda Owens came through in the clutch, picking up a two-out, walkoff double in the bottom of the eighth to send the home-standing Lady Bisons to a 7-6, extra-inning victory on Senior Night.
"So many games this year we've been close," Clearfield head coach Bob Dixon said. "This time we got a little pressure put on us and came through. I think that might be a nice kickstart to go into the playoffs. Get them fired up.
"It's funny, all year long our team has always played laid back, and they get in a tie game and it's the first time all year they got really enthusiastic and excited about playing ball. ... We played as hard as we've played all year."
Owens was 2-for-5 on the day, while Suzie Colesar added two hits and Breanna Blaylock made the most of her final home game in a Lady Bison uniform, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a first-inning, two-run home run.
After managing only one, unearned run through the first four frames, the Lady Mountain Lions began to erase a five-run deficit in the fifth inning. The visitors brought one run home on an error, before a single by Didi Rizzo (3-for-5) loaded the bases with no outs. Krisitie Mulhollem, the pitcher, then helped her own cause with a two-run hit.
Clearfield (9-8) starting hurler Heather Picard prevented any further damage by striking out three straight batters to end the inning. The freshman finished her complete game effort giving up three earned runs on 12 hits, striking out 10 and walking one.
But the Lady Lions weren't done, getting a leadoff single from Summer Feathers in the sixth before she came home on a ground out. That run brought Altoona within one, 6-5, and the visitors nearly tied things up moments later when a wild pitch - one of six from Picard - allowed a runner at third to come charging home. But catcher McKenzie Moore recovered behind the plate, getting the ball home in time for a play at the plate that erased the baserunner and led to an ejection for the visitors.
Feathers was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs, but her biggest hit came in the top of the seventh, when she slapped a two-out single to center field to bring home the tying run.
Picard stranded a runner in scoring position in the top of the eighth, giving her side the opportunity to take the lead in their half of the inning.
Owens got the job done, pulling a 3-1 pitching down the left field line for the game-winner.
"She has been hitting the ball real hard in practice," Dixon said. "Tonight she hit the ball hard a couple times.
"That was great. She's a really good ball player and she plays hard."
Mulhollem threw all eight innings for Altoona, giving up six earned runs on 12 hits, with six strikeouts, no walks and one hit batter.
As well as the day ended for Clearfield, it started out even better, and in much the same fashion - an Owens' hit. The sophomore shortstop opened the game with a base knock, and the Lady Bisons brought its first five batters of the game home. That early offensive burst was capped by Blaylock's bomb - the first of her career - over the left field wall, as she took the first pitch she saw deep.
"When Blaylock hit that home run I was so happy for her," Dixon said. "She caught that ball just right and it went and went."
After some fielding mishaps in the top of the second got Altoona on the board, Clearfield answered back. Suzie Colesar got things going when she was hit by a pitch, and Blaylock got her second hit of the game with a single to shallow right field. Rachel Condon got a favorable bounce to leg out an infield hit, and the bases were loaded with no outs.
A double play that nailed the runner coming home seemed to put the Lady Bisons' opportunity in jeopardy, but Moore came through with a two-out hit to left that scored Blaylock and re-established the five-run advantage, 6-1.
The nail-biter wrapped up the regular season for Clearfield, which now gets set to take on Punxsutawney in the District 9 Class AAA final Wednesday at Highland Park in DuBois. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.
"A good one to end it on and get ready for Wednesday," Dixon said. "Punxsy's a good ball team, but hey, the game has to be played on the field. That's what we'll see Wednesday." Altoona-6
Bumbarger cf 4110, Kidd rf 0000, Kerr ph 1000, Berry 2b 5121, Kudlawice c 5121, Rizzo 3b 5030, Mulhollem p 5112, Hatch 1b 3000, Wagner pr 0000, McMillen dp 4000, Montgomery pr 0100, Barnes ss 4000, Feathers lf 4132, Turner (flex) rf-cf 0000. Totals:40-6-12-6.
Clearfield-7
Owens ss 5121, Zalno lf 3110, Bowman cf 4101, Colesar 3b 3121, Blaylock rf 3222, Ebeling rf 1000, Condon 2b 3010, Lewis 2b 1000, Keener dp 4020, Moore c 4121, Kovalick 1b 4000, Picard (flex) p 0000. Totals: 35-7-12-6.
Score by Innings
Altoona 010 031 10-6 12 3
Clearfield 501 000 01-7 12 4
Errors-Rizzo, Barnes, Mulhollem; Colesar 2, Condon Kovalick. LOB-Altoona 11, Clearfield 7. DP-Altoona. 2B-Owens. HR-Blaylock (1 on, 1st inn.). SAC-Zalno. SB-Bowman, Keener. CS-Keener (by Kudlawice). HBP-Colesar (by Mulhollem). PB-Kudlawice; Moore. WP-Picard 6.
Pitching
Altoona: Mulhollem-8 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO.
Clearfield: Picard-8 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO.
WP-Picard (9-5). LP-Mulhollem.
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