Lady Cats Softball Opens 2014 Season (03/30/14)
The Lady Cats Softball Team opened their 2014 season, last week. Coach Dan Shofestall shared these accounts of the games.
Johnsonburg Game
The Johnsonburg Rams and the Clarion Bobcats opened their seasons Thursday March 27th at Paul A. Weaver Park in Clarion with the Rams prevailing 16-6 in 5 innings. The game was played under chilly conditions, but both teams provided offensive fireworks.
Johnsonburg opened the scoring with 4 runs in the top of the 4th. Clarion answered right back with a 3 spot of their own with some two out lightning. Cora Zerfoss drew a walk and moved to second on Johnna Rapp’s base hit. Olivia Bartley then hit a line drive down the right field line, scoring both runners.
Bartley legged out a triple as the ball rattled around the right field corner. Freshman Brooke Bowser then recorded her first career hit as a Bobcat, scoring Bartley to make the score 4-3. Another freshman Brittany Strotman also recorded her first career hit, later in the inning.
The Rams added 6 runs in the third, 3 in the fourth, and 2 more in the fifth for a 16 -3 advantage.
The Clarion bats came alive again in the bottom of the 5th. Keanna Over led off the inning with a single. Caitlyn Hill drew a walk, advancing Over to second. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Over scored on a fielder’s choice by Rapp. Hill scored on an error, while Rapp scored on a passed ball, ending the scoring for the game.
Despite the loss I found some encouraging signs from my young Bobcat squad. We did some good things tonight. I was pleased with the way the middle of our lineup hit. We had a lot of young girls put the ball in play against a very good pitcher, one of the better ones we will see. It was also Johnna’s first career start and I thought she battled very hard for us. Defensively, we have a lot to work on, but this was the first night we were able to get on the field and we just have not had a chance to do any situational practice yet.
I was also pleased with the enthusiasm we got from our bench. We’re young but very supportive of each other.
Rapp finished the game with 5 strikeouts.
Sheffield Game
Sheffield used a 9 run third inning to break open a close game and hand Clarion it’s second loss of the season, 16-4 in 5 innings.
The Wolverines scored a single tally, in the first and added three more, in the second to take a 4-0 lead going into the third.
Clarion scored 3 times in the bottom of the third. With one out, Shamecka Dittman walked. Keanna Over reached on an error. Caitlyn Hill then singled to center, scoring Dittman. Freshman Cora Zerfoss then doubled to right center scoring Over and Hill. It was Zerfoss’s first hit as a Bobcat.
Sheffield added a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 16-3 lead.
Clarion added their final run in the bottom of the frame. Over singled and would later score on Johnna Rapp’s base hit, making the final score 16-4.
Rapp pitched for the Bobcats and struck out 4 Sheffield batters.
(Thanks to Coach Shofestall for these summaries. The Lady Cats will play at Clarion-Limestone on Tuesday. Game Time is 4:15 p.m.)