(Photo of Clarion’s Kait Constantino. Photo by Kim Constantino)

The Clarion junior pitcher did just that in an 8-1 win over visiting A-C Valley Wednesday afternoon at Paul A. Weaver Park, doing more than her fair share in handing the Lady Falcons their first loss of the season.

Constantino came within a seventh-inning throwing error of recording a six-hit shutout and also went 4-for-4 from the plate with an RBI and four runs scored.

“I felt really good,” Constantino said. “We knew this was a really good team, and they were undefeated so we needed to play our best game we had all year.”

Play their best the Lady Cats did.

Less than a week after getting shocked by Moniteau, 18-8, a Moniteau team that had been 10-run-ruled by A-C Valley two weeks ago, Clarion struck early and often against A-C Valley starter Sydnie Schmidt chasing Schmidt from the circle after just an inning and a third while building a 5-0 lead.

“It boosts our confidence a lot,” Constantino said. “We know we weren’t that team we were a week ago. It was just a bad game, and we proved it here.”

Things started swimmingly for Clarion with the Lady Cats loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first behind base hits by Constantino and Carly Best and an error on a dropped fly ball that allowed Brenna Campbell to reach.

But Schmidt looked like she was going to work out of the jam when she got Jordan Best to pop back to the circle and struck out Lindsey Kemmer.

Tori Vega, however, picked up her teammates with a two-run bloop single to right, and Payton Simko followed with a run-scoring single to center to make it 3-0.

“(Vega’s hit) was really important,” Clarion manager Dan Shofestall said. “I am thinking the same thing you are. Bases loaded, nobody out, hoping to get a run in there. But Tori has had a lot of big hits for us this year. It was huge, getting the two runs, getting a little bit of breathing room there early. A-C Valley is a scrappy team, and they keep fighting. They won’t quit.”

Perhaps just as important as the first-inning runs was Clarion’s ability to add on.

Noel Anthony walked leading off the second and scored on a base hit to center by Constantino that included an error to make it 4-0, and Constantino then scored on an infield bunt single by Carly Best, who was 4-for-4 as well with a double, a run scored and two RBIs.

“They put their heads down, and we kept swinging,” Constantino said.

Watch all of Constantino’s postgame interview.

While Clarion built the early lead, Constantino was keeping A-C Valley’s bats silent.

After working around a two-out hit batter and walk in the first inning, she retired 14 of the next 18 batters she faced including eight strikeouts. She finished the game with 11 strikeouts, two walks and the hit batter.

“She came out strong tonight,” Shofestall said. “We always tell them the next pitch is always the most important pitch of the game. We try to win every pitch we can. That is our goal every night. She wins a lot of pitches for us, she really does.”

Clarion continued to add runs on against A-C Valley reliever Baylee Blauser scoring in the fourth when Constantino, who led off the inning with a single to center, scored on a ground ball by Jordan Best, who reached on an error.

The Lady Cats then added two more runs in the fifth on a Constantino single to left that scored Simko and a double by Carly Best that brought home Constantino.

All in all, Clarion pounded out 12 hits on the day and got contributions up and down the lineup.

“That is what we focus on the most,” Constantino said. “Everybody contributing. That is what we did.”

A-C Valley’s lone run came in the seventh when Emily Wetzel singled with one out, stole second and scored when the throw went into center field.

Clarion moves to 9-3 with the victory. The Lady Cats will look to exact some revenge on Cranberry when the Berries come calling at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Cranberry beat Clarion, 3-2, April 10, at Cranberry. The game can be heard on exploreClarion, exploreVenango and D9Sports.com.

A-C Valley falls to 7-1 with the loss. The Lady Falcons host Oil City Friday.

CLARION 8, A-C VALLEY 1

Score by Innings

A-C Valley 000 000 1 — 1
Clarion 320 120 x — 8

A-C VALLEY — 1

Emily Wetzel ss 4110, Meah Ielase lf/cf 3010, Cami McNany c 3020, Andrea Meals 3b 3000, Baylee Blauser cf/p 3010, Kelsie Terwilliger 2b 2000, Syndie Schmidt p/cf/lf 3010, Paige Klinger cr 0000, Kylee Eaton 1b 3000, Brogan Armagost 3000. Totals 27-1-6-0.

CLARION -8

Kait Constantino p 4441, Carly Best 2b 4142, Brenna Campbell ss 3100, Jordan Best c 3011, Lindsey Kemmer 1b 4000, Tori Vega 3b 3012, Payton Simko cf 4121, Ava Kiser lf 4000, Noel Anthony rf 3100. Totals 32-8-12-7.

LOB: A-C Valley 9. Clarion 10. Errors: A-C Valley 3. Clarion 3. 2B: Carly Best, Jordan Best. SB: Wetzel. CS: Blauser. PB: Jordan Best. Interference: Meals.

PITCHING

A-C Valley

Syndie Schmidt 1 ⅓ IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2K
Baylee Blauser 4 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Totals: 6 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 8 K

Clarion

Kait Constantino 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K, 1 HB

Winning Pitcher: Constantino
Losing Pitcher: Schmidt