CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) — Over the next few weeks we will take a look at the Top 15 stories to impact the EYT Media coverage area (exploreClarion.com, exploreVenango.com, exploreJeffersonpa.comNO. 11 — YOUNG CLEARFIELD SOFTBALL TEAM GOES MAKES SURPRISE RUN TO PIAA SEMIFINALS
Coming off a season that saw it finish under .500 and with a bunch of unknown freshmen, not a lot was expected from the Clearfield softball team in 2019.
Even when the Lady Bison reached the District 9 Class 3A playoffs, they weren’t the favorite — that belonged to Karns City, which had won 3A titles in 2017 and 2018 — after all, Clearfield was just 10-9 going into postseason play.
But after a 12-0, five-inning pasting of Brookville in the D9 semifinals, the Lady Bison made it be known they were for real when they beat Karns City, 5-1, in the District 9 title game behind the pitching of freshman Emma Hipps who gave up one unearned run on five hits and no walks while striking out nine. Fellow freshman Olivia Bender had two hits and three RBIs.
In the opening round of the PIAA playoffs, it was Hipps again leading the charge, something that became a refrain in the postseason, in a 4-3 win over Chestnut Ridge.
Hipps gave up three earned runs, all in the seventh inning, on seven hits and two walks while striking out 10, including the final batter of the game with the tying run at third.
Karly Rumsky led the offense with two hits, two stolen bases and two runs scored.
In the quarterfinals against WPIAL champion Avonworth, it was Hipps again shining in the circle with the freshman again showing nerves of steel by retiring Avonworth’s top two hitters with the tying run on third in the bottom of the seventh to preserve a 2-1 victory. That was after she got out of a base-loaded-one-out jam in the fifth. Hipps went seven innings allowing an unearned run on three hits and four walks while striking out nine.
Both Clearfield runs came in the top of the first with two outs with the first run scoring when Bender reached on an infield hit and an error allowed Rumskey to score from second. Lauren Ressler then drove in courtesy runner Alyssa Twigg with a double.
The semifinal game, a 1-0 loss to Bald Eagle, might have been Hipps’ finest game of the year.
Against a team that beat Clearfield 17-2 in the season opener and 9-0 in April, Hipps was nearly flawless taking a perfect game 5 ⅔ innings. She threw 53 of her first 54 pitches for strikes and ended the game throwing just five balls among her 73 pitches. She gave up one run on a bloop, two-out single in the bottom of the seventh. She struck out 13 and walked two, both intentional.
Hipps was named the D9Sports.com District 9 Rookie of the Year after going 13-9 with a 1.54 ERA. She had 241 strikeouts and just 42 walks in 149 ⅔ innings of work and also hit .416 with six home runs, eight doubles, a triple and 18 RBIs.
Rumsky was the only senior starter on the team, so the future looks bright for Clearfield.
TOP 15 EYT MEDIA SPORTS STORIES FROM 2018-19 SCHOOL YEAR
11. Young Clearfield Softball Team Reaches PIAA Semifinals
12. Cranberry Softball Goes to PIAA Semifinals
13. A-C Valley Girls’ Basketball Wins KSAC Title; Advances to PIAA Quarterfinals
14. Oil City’s Emma Stevenson wins 1,600-meter run at District 10 championship
15. Clarion Volleyball Wins D9 Title Advances to PIAA Quarterfinals
