Softball Weekly Summary: Lady Cats Go 2 and 2 Last Week (05/03/15)
The Clarion Area Lady Cats Softball Team completed a busy week, going 2 and 2. Clarion Manager Dan Shofestall shares the following summary. (Also be sure to check the announcement at the bottom of the article for Senior Night information.)
CLARION 9 – BROOKVILLE 4
The Clarion Softball Team opened a busy week with a 9-4 victory over Brookville on Monday (April 27th) night. Sadie Rudesyle got the win for for the Bobcats striking out seven Lady Raider batters, in seven innings.
Clarion steadily built a 9-0 lead before holding off the Brookville squad the final two innings.
Maya Thornton started the scoring for Clarion, in the second, after drawing a one out walk and eventually scoring on a dropped third strike.
With one out in the third, Keanna Over singled and advanced to third on Johnna Rapps base hit to give Clarion the 2-0 lead.
The Bobcats were able to double their lead, in the fourth, by scoring a pair of runs. Thornton started the inning with a single. Rudesyle then doubled home Thornton. With two outs, Over lined a single to left field and Rudesyle scored for a 4-0 lead.
The fifth inning started off with a base on balls to Thornton. Rudesyle followed with a single and Thornton raced home after a Brookville miscue.
Clarion added four big insurance runs in the top of the sixth. Aliya Reed started the inning, reaching via an error. Over and Alexis Constantino drew back to back walks. Rapp then reached base as Over crossed the plate. A Zerfoss single scored Constantino. Thornton then singled home Rapp and Zerfoss scored on another Brookville miscue to push the Clarion lead to 9-0.
Brookville scored three in the sixth and one in the seventh to make the final score 9-4.
The Bobcats collected eight hits with Over, Thornton and Rudesyle each collecting a pair. Rapp also singled, scored and drove in a run. Thornton scored three times with two RBI’s while Rudesyle had the Cats only extra base hit with a double. Zerfoss and Constantino also scored for the Clarion offense.
REDBANK VALLEY 4 – CLARION 3 (8 INNINGS)
The Clarion Softball team lost a heartbreaker to the Redbank Valley Bulldogs 4-3, in extra innings,at Paul A. Weaver Park, on Tuesday (April 28th).
Alexis Constantino was a workhorse in the circle for Clarion Area. Constantino pitched eight innings and allowed one earned run, seven hits and one walk while striking out two. Her defense also played well behind her.
After holding Redbank scoreless in the top of the first Clarion took the lead in the bottom of the frame with a run.
Keanna Over was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and would be pushed home by a two out single by Cora Zerfoss.
After Redbank tied the game in the second, Clarion would retake the lead in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs. With one out Maya Thornton and Johnna Rapp hit back to back singles. Zerfoss hit into a fielder’s choice erasing Thornton. Sadie Rudesyle then delivered with a double scoring Rapp and Zerfoss with another bit of two out lighting and a 3-1 Bobcat lead.
The Bulldogs came right back in the fourth to tie the game back up. 3-3. That score held through the seventh inning as the two teams moved on to extra innings. The Bulldogs were able to push across an unearned run to take the 4-3 lead.
The Lady Cats chances looked good in the bottom of the eighth as Cora Zerfoss led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. But that’s as far as she got, as Redbank pitcher Alyssa Burkett retired the final three batters for the Bulldog 4-3 win.
For the Bobcats, Rapp and Zerfoss each had a pair of hits while Over and Thornton also singled. Rudesyle also doubled for Clarion. Over, Rapp and Zerfoss scored the Bobcat runs.
Constantino did a nice job in the circle throwing only 86 pitches with 61 of them being strikes in eight innings of work.
CLARION 14 – VENANGO CATHOLIC 0
The Clarion Bobcats softball team opened up a close game with a late surge of hitting to pull away from Venango Catholic 14-0, on Wednesday (April 29th). The game was scoreless until the top of the fourth, when with two outs, Cora Zerfoss got Clarions first hit of the game with a single. Sadie Rudesyle doubled home Zerfoss for the runs first game.
The Bobcats added four more runs in the fifth. Aliya Reed started the inning with a base hit. MacKenzie Ditullio hit into a fielder’s choice erasing Stephanie Slike, who was pinch running for Reed. Ditullio stole second base and scored on Maya Thornton’s line drive double to left. Johnna Rapp followed with another double, pushing Thornton home. Zerfoss drove home Rapp and scored on another Rudesyle double, giving Clarion a 5-0 lead.
The Bobcats kept the pressure on with three more tallies in the sixth. Stephanie Kahle reached first base on a dropped third strike. Reed followed with a hit and both runners scored on a Ditullio double. Thornton then plated Ditullio, with a single, to push the lead to 8-0.
Clarion’s bats continued to stay hot as they scored six insurance runs in the seventh. Zerfoss led off with a base hit. Rudesyle then ripped a ground rule double. It was the third double of the game for Rudesyle. Alexis Constantino walked to load the bases. Sydney Kiser then singled home Zerfoss and Rudesyle. Reed kept the hit parade going, as she singled home Constantino and Kiser. After the Venango Catholic defense turned a double play, Keanna Over kept the inning going with a double. Thornton doubled home Over. Kylie Craig pinch ran for Thornton and promptly scored on Rapp’s second double of the game, to make the final score 14-0.
In all, the Clarion offense had seventeen hits while pounding out nine doubles.
Meanwhile starting pitcher Sadie Rudesyle was getting the job done in the circle. Rudesyle fanned fourteen VC batters while allowing only two hits. The Vikings threatened in the bottom of the fourth by getting runners on second and third with no outs but Rudesyle and her teammates were able to work out of the jam.
For the victorious Bobcats, Rudesyle had three doubles. Rapp and Thornton two while Over and Ditullio each had one. Reed, Thornton, Zerfoss and Rudesyle each had three hits while Rapp added two hits. Over, Kiser and Ditullio had the other hits. Thornton led the team with three RBI’s and Zerfoss scored three runs.
CRANBERRY 12 – CLARION 5
The Clarion Softball team traveled to Cranberry on Thursday (April 30th), losing to the undefeated Berries 12-5.
The top of the first saw Clarion take the early lead. Johnna Rapp kicked things off with a two out single. Cora Zerfoss drew a walk and both runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Sadie Rudesyle doubled home both runners for the 2-0 Clarion lead.
Cranberry then scored two in the second, two in the third and four in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead.
The Lady Cats cut the lead in half by scoring a pair of runs in the fifth. Keanna Over doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a double by Maya Thornton. Johnna Rapp walked and stole second base. Rudesyle followed with another double driving home both runners to make the score 8-4 Cranberry.
Cranberry added four more runs in the bottom of the of the fifth to stake a 12-4 lead.
The Bobcats added their final run in the seventh. Thornton led off the inning with a triple and scored on a Zerfoss groundout. making the final score 12-5.
Rudesyle had two doubles and three RBI’s for the Bobcats while Thornton tripled and singled and scored a pair of runs. Over doubled and scored a run while Rapp singled and scored a run. Liz Saver also recorded a hit.
With the loss, Clarion’s record fell to 5-7.
SENIOR NIGHT – TUESDAY MAY 5TH
THE CLARION SOFTBALL TEAM WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE TO WEAVER PARK ON TUESDAY MAY 5TH FOR SENIOR NIGHT AS WE HONOR SENIORS ALIYA REED AND STEPHANIE KAHLE. PRE-GAME FESTIVITIES START AROUND 4:00. GAME TIME IS 4:15, AS THE BOBCATS HOST THE A-C VALLEY FALCONS.