HYDE – Mandy Rowles fired a three-inning no-hitter and drove in six runs with a double and a grand-slam home run in Clearfield\’s 15-run second inning as the Lady Bisons made short work of Wednesday afternoon\’s non-league softball game, pinning a 17-0 loss on Sheffield.
Rowles struck out eight and walked none in her second career no-no.
An error on Kesha Silvis\’ fly ball in the first inning prevented the junior right-hander from recording a perfect game.
The only other Lady Wolverine to put the ball in play was Kerrin Swartz, whose looper to the right side was tracked down by Lady Bison second baseman Alanna Luzier for the final out.
More impressively, Rowles missed the strike zone just three times in 32 pitches.
Coach Bob Dixon chuckled when he heard the pitch count, saying, \”She threw more than that back there (behind the dugout) before the game.
\”She just overwhelmed them. Her curve ball looked good. It was a heck of an effort.\”
Rowles, who has pitched every inning for the 4-2 Lady Bisons, also continued her assault on opposing hurlers with a two-run double to left center against loser Cassie Littlefield and the bases-loaded homer, a liner over the fence in left, against reliever Ashley Barr.
During Clearfield\’s current four-game winning streak, Rowles has slugged four homers and three doubles among her nine hits in 14 at-bats. She\’s driven in 13 runs and scored seven.
On this warm, sunny day, she was one of 10 Lady Bisons in the hit column.
Alyssa Anderson smashed a three-run homer to left while Kenzie McGovern doubled home a run and Sarah Kovalick, pinch-hitter Janell Zalno and Amber Mahlon singled for RBIs in the marathon second-inning outburst, when Clearfield parlayed 10 hits with seven walks and two Sheffield (2-4) errors.
Suzie Colesar ripped a two-run single up the middle in the first frame.
Carrie Harbold also singled in a pinch-hitting role.
\”It\’s tough to stay focused in a game like this, but they did when they were batting,\” Dixon said. \”We hit the ball hard.\”
At the top of the lineup, Luzier, Megan Butler and Ashley Lias scored seven times.
The Lady Bisons will be on their home field again Friday against Ridgway.
SHEFFIELD — 0
Kerrin Swartz c 2000, Alicia Steffan lf 1000, Kesha Silvis ss 1000, Amanda Craker 1b 1000, Chelsea Fitch 3b 1000, Ashley Barr dp-p 1000, Casie Witz cf 1000, Danielle Nelson 2b 1000, Caryn Copley rf 1000, Cassie Littlefield (flex) p 0000. TOTALS: 10 0 0 0.
CLEARFIELD — 17
Alanna Luzier 2b 3210, Megan Butler 3b 4210, Ashley Lias ss 1300, Mandy Rowles p 2326, Alyssa Andereson cf 1113, Katie Bowman ph-cf 0100, Suzie Colesar 1b 1112, Carrie Harbold ph 1110, Kenzie McGovern c 1111, Julie Colesar ph 0000; Sarah Kovalick lf 2111, Janell Zalno ph 1011, Amber Mahlon rf 2111. TOTALS: 19 17 11 15.
Score by Innings
Sheffield 0 0 0 – 0 0 3
Clearfield 2(15)x – 15 11 1
Errors – Swartz, Silvis, Nelson; Mahlon. LOB – Sheffield 1; Clearfield 6. 2B – Rowles, McGovern. HR – Rowles (4), Anderson (1).
Pitching
Sheffield – Littlefield 1+ IP (faced 8 batters in 2nd) 5 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 6 BB, 1 K; Barr 1 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 0 K.
Clearfield – Rowles 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K.
WP – Littlefield 2, Barr 2; Rowles 1.
W – Rowles (4-2). L – Littlefield (2-4)
Umpires – Rob Murphy (home); Garry Shirey (bases).