Clearfield’s Magical Run Continues as Hipps Pitches Lady Bison into PIAA 3A Semifinals

D9Sports.com

D9Sports.com

Published June 7, 2019 4:18 am
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Emma Hipps Clearfield BakaysaLORETTO, Pa. (D9Sports) – Getting all the runs she needed in the top of the first inning, freshman pitcher Emma Hipps continued her late-season run of outstanding performances with a three-hitter against WPIAL champion Avonworth to give Clearfield an historic victory at Red Flash Field on the St. Francis University campus Thursday afternoon.

(Photo of Clearfield’s Emma Hipps. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)

The nerve-wracking 2-1 win was the program’s first at the PIAA quarterfinal level and earned the Lady Bison a third game against Mountain League rival Bald Eagle Area, which defeated Keystone Oaks 4-2 in the nightcap of the Class 3A doubleheader.

The PIAA Class 3A semifinal is scheduled for Monday at a site and time to be announced.

Just as she did in Monday’s 4-3 squeaker over Chestnut Ridge, Hipps needed to get two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning against the WPIAL champion’s top two hitters with Natalie Marshall perched at third base following a triple to right field.

The Lady Bison ace was up for the challenge once again, frustrating the Lady Antelopes and their fans by striking out losing pitcher Sarah Helffrich before Maya Kozup, an Edinboro University recruit, lined out to shortstop.

Hipps, who entered the game with an 0.82 earned run average over the last 11 games, had worked out two earlier jams, stranding two runners in scoring position in the fourth and three in the fifth after the Lady Antelopes loaded the bases with their first two hits and a one-out intentional walk to Helffrich.

Cat Barie drove in the unearned Avonworth (21-3) run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning following two walks and an error on a sacrifice bunt.

Hipps struck out nine while issuing four walks and hitting one batter in her 20th complete game in 22 starts for the 14-9 Lady Bison.

The visiting team via a coin flip, Clearfield grabbed the quick lead with two of its six hits off Helffrich after Karly Rumsky drew a leadoff walk.

With two outs, Rumsky scored from second base when Olivia Bender’s infield hit was thrown away at first base. Lauren Ressler then drove in courtesy runner Alyssa Twigg with a double that one-hopped the fence in left-center.

Helffrich then settled in, finishing with four strikeouts, four walks and one hit batter.

Story by Fred Kavelak

CLEARFIELD 2, AVONWORTH 1

Score by Innings

Clearfield 200 000 0 – 2
Avonworth 000 010 0 – 1

CLEARFIELD – 2

Karly Rumsky cf 3110, Morgan Cheek lf 4010, Emma Hipps p 3000, Olivia Bender c 4110, Lauren Ressler 1b 3011, Kyra Mollura ss 2010, Casey English 3b 2000, Alexis Benton rf 3010, Kylee Hertlein 2b 2000. TOTALS: 26 2 6 1.

AVONWORTH – 1

Dom Raught ss 3010, Natalie Marshall 2b 4010, Sarah Helffrich p 2100, Maya Kozup cf 3000, Leah Logan c 2000, Meghan Fissore 3b 2000, Cat Bari elf 2001, Abby Stanley rf 3000, Emily Davis dp 3010, Zoie Perry 1b (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 24 1 3 1.

E – Hipps, English; Fissore. DP – Avonworth 1 (Helffrich and Perry). LOB – Clearfield 8; Avonworth 9. 2B – Ressler. 3B — . Sac – Fissore, Barie. SB — Raught.

PITCHING

Clearfield

Hipps 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 9 K

Avonworth

Helffrich 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K

HB – Hipps 1 (Kozup); Helffrich 1 (Mollura).

Winning pitcher Hipps
Losing pitcher: Helffrich

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