Ginther, who fired a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts, and the Lady Dutch eked out their first victory over the Lady Bisons in at least a decade, 3-2, to become the challengers for the championship Punxsutawney has won the last four years. The Lady Dutch will take on the No. 1-seeded Lady Chucks Tuesday at Brockway in the 4:30 p.m. title game.

For the disappointed Lady Bisons, the end of an up-and-down season ultimately hinged on a bang-bang play at home plate that went against them in the bottom of the sixth inning when they were down 1-0.

Erica Sorg tagged up on Cassie Wonderling’s fly ball to short left, but Tristan Lewis’ strong, on-the-money throw beat her to the plate.

However, the umpire’s ruling was that Sorg had managed to slide under Lady Bison catcher Lucy Kovalick’s tag to avert an inning-ending double play and score the first of two crucial insurance runs.

Moments later, former Lady Bison Mia Keener drove in the eventual game-winner with a single to center.

Coach Bob Dixon believed Keener, a senior who played for his Lady Bisons as a freshman and sophomore, should have been the Lady Dutch leadoff batter in the seventh.

“In my eyes, and in my heart, I know that was an out,” he proclaimed after noting he was sitting on a bucket at the end of the Clearfield dugout closest to the plate when the play unfolded. “Lucy hit her foot and came up and tagged her on the shin.

“It may have been out yesterday and it may be out tomorrow, but today it was safe. There’s nothing you can do about it.

“If we get that (out), they would have got nothing, and we would have gone up 2-1 in the seventh.”

That’s because B.J. Bowman walloped a home run to left field after Rachel Hoffman walked in the top of the last inning.

However, Bowman’s fifth homer of the season only spoiled Ginther’s shutout instead of possibly lifting the Lady Bisons to what would have been a great win.

“That was a tough loss,” Dixon said. “I knew that girl (Sorg) was in trouble, because Tristan’s got the best arm in the outfield. It’s accurate, and it’s strong. And Lucy had plenty of time.

“I guess she should have dropped to her knees and blocked the plate and made the tag. But she still hit her on the bottom of the foot when she slid in there.

“Hey, we didn’t lose the game because of the umpire, because we only scored two runs and we scored them in the top of the seventh. You’ve gotta score more than that.

“But we played good. We played some good, heads-up defense.

“And Heather pitched a real good game. She located really well. Her curve ball worked really nice. She kept us in the game.”

Picard had only two strikeouts but walked none. She gave up seven singles, three in each of the innings the Lady Dutch scored, and was aided by a double plays in the fourth and fifth innings that kept it close.

Keener set up the first St. Marys (15-4) run in the second inning by dropping down a perfect bunt toward third. Perched at second after a wild pitch, she scored on Rachel Cunningham’s hit to right center.

Meanwhile, Ginther was in cruise control.

She was working on a perfect game until Hoffman belted a double over center fielder Taylor Bellina’s head with two outs in the fourth inning.

Clearfield’s only other hits were a double to deep left by Lewis with two outs in the fifth and a bunt single by Andrea Butler with one out in the sixth. Butler was doubled up when Melinda Owens popped up a bunt attempt.

Ginther kept the ball down and pounded the outside corner against Clearfield’s all-right-handed lineup in her 13th win.

“She’s very good,” Dixon said. “She’s always around the plate and kept the ball low, except when she wanted to go up.

“She stayed outside, and I thought we looked at too many third strikes. We try to tell them to be defensive when you get two strikes on you. You’ve got to put the bat on the ball if it’s close. You can’t stand and look at it. Unfortunately, we seemed to look at a few of them.”

Lady Bisons watched called third strikes on four occasions and were unable to put a lot of pressure on a very good Lady Dutch defense that has committed only 16 errors.

Still, they were one rally away from pulling it out going to the lower sixth.

Sorg led off by slapping a single into left center. Kali Quagliani bunted her up to second before Ginther dropped a hit just in front of the hard-charging Mikayla Ebeling in short right field to set the stage for Wonderling’s sacrifice fly and Keener’s ensuing single that plated Cassie Daniels.

Ginther’s courtesy runner, had advanced to third on a wild pitch and the all-important play at the plate.

So, Bowman’s dinger only made it close as the Lady Bisons finished 10-11 after climbing to the .500 mark four times.

“With as many girls as we had (back) this year, I thought we would be better than that,” Dixon said. “I thought we’d win more games than we did, but we just didn’t seem to hit real well.

“It was kind of disappointing that, as coaches, we didn’t get our team to play more consistently. Some nights, we played like champions and some nights we were a little bit below that level.

“They’re good kids to coach. They’re good competitors. They played hard. They gave a good effort. They had a pretty good attitude.

“The pitchers did real well. I think Heather and Rachel really carried us. And B.J. and Rachel did a good job at the plate.

“Overall, it was a tough season.”

Playing their final game for the Lady Bisons were center fielder Bowman, shortstop Butler, second baseman Owens, Lewis and outfielder Robyn McBride. Outfielders Morgan Brooks and Amanda Peoples were the other seniors.

Bowman padded her school-record home run record to 17 and wound up with 86 hits, a .422 average and 57 runs batted in for her four-year career that included a shortened freshman season when she suffered a broken thumb. She also was a standout defensive player.

“She was one of the better softball players to play at Clearfield, without a doubt,” Dixon said. “She had a great career and as the season wore on, she showed some great leadership,” Dixon said. “She was one of the better players to play at Clearfield, without a doubt.

“If we ever sat down to pick a Hall of Fame for Clearfield softball, she would be in there on the first ballot. She was that good.”

“Owens always gave 110 percent and had a real good attitude.

“Butler was a real spitfire who played with a lot of emotion. She always was a good, steady player. And she led very well by example.

“Lewis played second base and some at shortstop and third base and even pitched in her freshman and sophomore years before we finally found a position for her in left field. She became a real good defensive outfielder. You wanted her out there somewhere because of how hard she worked.

“McBride worked her way through the program and was a good outfielder and pretty good hitter.

“Brooks and Peoples saw they weren’t going to get much varsity playing time, so they were willing to go down to jayvees and showed some leadership. They pushed the jayvees to work harder.”

See photos of the game here: http://www.ladybisonsports.org/lbsSBall052312.html

CLEARFIELD — 2

Andrea Butler ss 3010, Melinda Owens 2b 3000, Rachel Hoffman dp 2110, B.J. Bowman cf 3112, Heather Picard p 3000, Lucy Kovalick c 3000, Tristan Lewis lf 3010, Becca Byerly 1b 1000, Robyn McBride ph 1000, Megan Vanderburgh 3b 2000, Mikayla Ebeling rf (flex) 0000.  TOTALS: 24 2 4 2.

ST. MARYS — 3

Erica Sorg ss 3110, Kali Quagliani 2b 2000, Rachel Ginther p 3110, Cassie Wonderling dp 2011, Cassie Daniels pr 0000, Mia Keener rf 3121, Rachel Cunningham 1b 3011, Hayley McGowan c 2000, Taylor Bellina cf 1010, Sav Krivonyak 3b 2000, Kelsey Fritz lf (flex) 0000.  TOTALS: 21 3 7 3.

Score by Innings

Clearfield        000 000 2 – 2  4  2

St. Marys        010 002 x – 3  7  0

Errors – Butler, Byerly. DP – Clearfield 2 (Owens and Byerly; Kovalick, Owens and Butler); St. Marys 1 (Krivonyak and Cunningham). LOB – Clearfield 2; St. Marys 3. 2B – Bowman, Lewis. HR – Bowman (5). Sac – Quagliani, Bellina. SF – Wonderling.

Pitching

Clearfield – Picard 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.

St. Marys – Ginther 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K.

WP – Picard 2.

W – Ginther (13-4). L – Picard (3-8).

Umpires – Ron Caskey (plate) and Jim Thomas (bases).

Lady Bison Final Scoreboard:

Penn State will offer five football camp opportunities in June, including two advanced skills camps, in addition to position, youth and kicking camps. The Nittany Lions’ coaching staff will be joined by some of the nation’s best high school and college coaches to provide professional instruction during the camps.

More than 2,000 players annually attend Penn State football camps, making it one of the most successful high school football camp operations in the country. The instructional sessions are held at Penn State’s expansive grass and artificial turf fields, or in case of inclement weather, in the Nittany Lions’ indoor facilities, including Holuba Hall.

Penn State football camp information, including online registration forms, can be found a thttp://www.pennstatefootballcamps.com or GoPSUsports.com/camps online. Interested individuals also can contact the Penn State Sports Camp office at 814-865-0561 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

The advanced skills camps will be held June 2 and 16 and are open to athletes entering 11th or 12th grade this fall. The camp is designed for experienced high school players who want to elevate their skills in preparation for their upcoming season and playing football beyond high school. The camp’s primary focus is on position-specific skill and technique development.

The Penn State kicking camp is June 17 and open for athletes entering eighth through 12th grade this fall. The camp is designed for kicking specialists looking to learn or improve their skills in placekicking and punting. Each player will receive instruction in specific drills and techniques through on-the-field and lecture sessions. The Penn State coaching staff, assisted by former Nittany Lion placekickers and punters, will provide the instruction.

The Penn State youth camp will be held June 24 and is open to students entering grades four through seven this fall. The camp is designed to teach basic fundamentals in all positions, creating a strong foundation as an athlete progresses in his football career. Besides both offensive and defensive fundamentals, agility, balance, movement, speed enhancement, conditioning, hydration and sportsmanship will be highlighted.

The Penn State position camp is set for June 28-30 and also is for athletes entering grades eight through 12 this fall. This camp is designed to give players the opportunity to enhance basic football-related skills, while also learning individual football techniques and fundamentals. In addition to O’Brien and the Penn State staff, top high school and college coaches from across the country will provide instruction. Through lectures, demonstrations and drill sessions, camp participants will receive position-specific skill and technique development.

2012 Penn State Football Camps:

– June 2 – Advanced Skills Camp I
– June 16 – Advanced Skills Camp II
– June 17 – Kicking Camp
– June 24 – Youth Camp
– June 28-30 – Position Camp

Penn State returns 36 letterwinners and 10 starters for the upcoming season (five offense, four defense, one specialist), as well as 17 players that have starting experience. The 17 additional players with starting experience have a combined total of 78 starts (44 defense/34 offense) among them.

Season tickets are available for the 2012 season, with the Nittany Lions playing host to five teams that played in bowl games last year. Penn State will host Ohio State (Oct. 27), Wisconsin (Nov. 24-Senior Day), Northwestern (Oct. 6-Homecoming), Indiana (Nov. 17), Navy (Sept. 15), Temple (Sept. 22) and Ohio (Sept. 1) in Beaver Stadium this fall.

For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can go to http://www.GoPSUsports.com or call 800-648-8269 (800-NITTANY) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The pricing of 2012 Penn State football game tickets and accompanying donation levels is the same as in 2011.

Penn State Athletics is on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pennstatenittanylions and Twitter athttp://www.gopsusports.com/ot/twitter.html online.

Jeff Nelson, Penn State University

Lady Tide senior Madi Peterman pulls in a throw at first to erase Coudersport's Kayla Ness in District IX play-off action. Coudersport went on to eliminate Curwensville 8-5. (Photo by Rusty McCracken)

COUDERSPORT – It’s rare for a sporting event to be played that doesn’t have a noticeable play or two that changes the outcome of the game.  This was the case in the District IX quarterfinal match-up between Curwensville and Coudersport.  Two outstanding plays by the Falcons’ center fielder Kayla Gleason kept Curwensville from scoring the potential tying runs in an 8-5 Coudersport win on Wednesday.

Gleason ran down a line drive in the left-center gap in the third inning that would have scored two Lady Tide runs.  In the sixth inning, Gleason showed her range to right-center to keep the lead-off hitter off base.  A walk and a base hit later in the inning may have tied the game going into the seventh.

“Their center fielder made a couple of nice plays, and the second baseman played well in the last inning to wrap things up,” said Tide coach Allen Leigey.  “They made the plays they had to make and it made the whole difference.  We hit the ball hard and she (Gleason) just went and got them.”

The game couldn’t have started any better for the Lady Tide as Taylor Goodman drove the first pitch over the left field fence for a 1-0 lead.  However, the hosts buckled down to end threats in the second and third innings.  Curwensville finished the game by leaving 12 runners on base; seven of those were left at second or third.

“We stranded too many runners,” said Leigey.  “We had enough opportunities to win the game, but just didn’t finish the job.”

The Lady Falcons grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the second inning as Amanda Morey and Taylor Green  opened the frame with back-to-back singles.  Kayla Ness was then hit by a Tierra Shope pitch to load the bases.  A base hit by Brianna Majot and a double by pitcher Keirsten Counts provided the RBI’s for the 3-1 lead.

The visitors tried to keep pace in the fourth inning as junior Abby Johnson doubled to left-center with one out.  Johnson was able to scamper to third when Gleason’s throw to second sailed high.  Hannah Bressler followed in the ninth spot with a sacrfice bunt that plated Johnson for a 3-2 mark.  However, the tying run in that inning was left at third base.

The inning that did in the Lady Tide was the fourth as 10 Coudersport batters came to the plate to post seven hits and five runs.  Doubles by Counts and Ellen Gerner highlighted the Falcon fifth as the hosts found gaps in the defense that the hard hits of the Tide failed to hit.

“We let that fourth inning get way from us,” added Leigey.  “Tierra (Shope) didn’t seem to have real good location today.  Their 2-3-and-4 hitters found the alleys, and anything that hit the middle of the plate, they hit hard.”

The Lady Falcons tallied 13 hts on the day as Shope walked four batters and struck out three.  Two Coudersport batters were hit by pitches as all eight runs were earned on the day.  In the last two innings as the Tide was trying to get back into the game, Shope finished strong by facing just six batters.  Tide center fielder Sarah Wriglesworth showed her glove skill as well with a shoestring grab that turned into a double play at second base.

In the Curwensville fifth inning, eight batters came to the plate to push three runs across.  Coudersport thought they had the inning shut down after a double-play cleard the bases, but straight hits by Cheyenne Pentz, Megan Barrett, Wriglesworth, Johnson and Bressler scored the runs to close the gap to 8-5.

The Tide threatened in both the sixth and seventh, but the Lady Falcon defense closed the door with a couple acrobatic grabs on soft hits that appeared to be dropping.  Second baseman Amanda Morey finished the final out of the game in short right on her backside as she held onto the ball when she hit the ground.

The Lady Tide slapped out 12 hits in the game with Goodman, Carter, Pentz and Johnson all posting two each.  All four are juniors and will be back to play next season.  Counts was unable to fan a batter in the contest and walked five Curwensville batters.

“I just feel bad for the seniors that the season had to end here,” Leigey said.  “Molly (Demchak) and Madi (Peterman) have been on the varsity since their freshman year, and they both have had a very good year.  We picked up Hannah (Bressler) in their sophomore year and she has been a solid player ever since.  I think I short-changed Megan (Barrett) last year, but she has been a great addition to the team this year – the ultimate designated player.  We’ll miss them all next season.

Coudersport will await the outcome of Thursday’s quarterfinal game between Port Allegany and Elk County Catholic to decide their semifinal opponent.

CURWENSVILLE – 5

Taylor Goodman 2b 4121, Madi Peterman 1b 5000, Tiffany Carter c 3020, Molly Demchak 3b 4010, Cheyenne Pentz ss 4120, Alaina Stiles pr 0000, Megan Barrett dp 3110, Sarah Wriglesworth cf 3111, Abby Johnson lf 4121, Hannah Bressler rf 2012, Tierra Shope p/flex 0000, TOTALS – 32 AB 5 R 12 H 5 RBI.

COUDERSPORT - 8

Brianna Majot rf 3131, Keirsten Counts p 4122, Courtney Rogers ss 2011, Angela Smolder 1b 3111, Kayla Gleason cf 2110, Ellen Gerner c 3111, Amanda Morey 2b 3110, Taylor Green 3b 3121, Kayla Ness lf 2110, TOTALS - 25 AB 8 R 13 H 7 RBI.

SCORES BY INNINGS – R H E

Curwensville    100 013 0 – 5 12 1

Coudersport     030 500 x – 8 13 2

ERRORS – Peterman; Morey, Gleason.  LOB – Curwensville 12; Coudersport 8. 2B – Johnson; Counts 2, Gerner. 3B – none.   HR – Goodman.  SAC - Bressler; Rogers, Morey.  SB – none.  DP – Curwensville; Coudersport.  PB – Carter.   WP – Shope 2; Counts 2. HB – Rogers, Ness (Shope).

PITCHING

Curwensville -  Shope 6 IP 13 H 8 R 8 ER 4 BB 3 K 2 HB

Coudersport - Counts 7 IP 12 H 5 R 5 ER 5 BB 0 K 0 HB

WP - Counts (14-2). LP – Shope (14-4).

Lady Tide Final Scoreboard:

DOVER, Del. – Penn State Behrend sophomore Chad Zurat of Clearfield was selected third-team relief pitcher on the D3baseball.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team late last week and then was given his first start of the season in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference South Region Tournament championship game against Wesley (Del.) Sunday afternoon.

The hard-throwing right-hander, who had bailed out teammates many times in his 19 relief appearances, struggled against the host and No. 1-seeded Wolverines, but the third-seeded Lions got him off the hook with seven runs in the sixth inning and went on to claim the title with a 13-10 victory at Bob Reed Field.

Zurat (2-2) pitched 2-1/3 innings and couldn’t protect 2-0 and 3-2 leads, giving up six hits and five runs, four earned, while walking three.

In his previous 35-1/3 innings, he had surrendered only 17 hits and four runs, all earned.

Zurat failed to register a strikeout, and the only other time that occurred was when he needed to record just one out against Pitt-Greensburg.

More typical of his stints were 2-1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit, three-strikeout relief in Penn State Behrend’s 8-7 win over visiting Waynesburg, the No. 6 seed, in the ECAC-South first round Wednesday.

Zurat, one of two pitchers named to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference second team, is one of 44 players on the all-region squad selected by the D3baseball.com staff and contributors and sports information directors.

Pitt-Bradford second baseman Derek Smith was the only other AMCC player to be selected. The conference’s Player of the Year is on the second team.

In all, 713 players in eight regions throughout the country were nominated by their schools.

Penn State Behrend’s third ECAC title capped a 29-15-1 season that included a second-place finish at 12-3-1 in the AMCC regular season. The Lions lost in the elimination bracket final of the conference championship tourney.

Final conference statistics show Zurat second in saves (7), appearances (20), games in relief (19) and games finished (14) and eighth in strikeouts (48).

His 11.47 strikeouts per nine innings rank among the top 10 in NCAA Division III.

Zurat, who tied the Penn State Behrend record for saves in a season, finished with an outstanding 48-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and an earned run average of 1.91.

A shoulder injury prevented junior Mike Moyer of Clearfield from pitching for Penn State Behrend in the AMCC and ECAC tournaments, cutting short a solid season that included five wins without a defeat.

The right-handed starter wound up in many of the AMCC’s Top 10 for hurlers with a minimum of one inning per number of games played by their teams.

Moyer second in fewest runs allowed (22), third in fewest walks allowed (10), tied for third in fewest earned runs allowed (17), fourth in earned run average (3.21), fifth in wins, tied for eighth in starts (9), and tied for ninth in hits fewest allowed (52).

Also, he was one of five AMCC pitchers who didn’t give up a home run and one of six who didn’t allow a triple.

Moyer pitched 47-2/3 innings in 10 appearances and had two complete games.

* * * * *

ALTOONA – Derek Danver of Clearfield ended his freshman season for Penn State Altoona ranking seventh in runs batted in with 37 and 15th in batting average at .348 in the final Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference statistics.

The infielder/designated hitter was 47-for-135 with nine doubles and one home run.

Danver led the Lions (17-22) in RBIs, was third in hits and doubles and tied for third in runs scored with 26.

He drew five walks and was hit by a pitch five times.

* * * * * * * * * *

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -Penn State still rings standout Scott Rosenthal of Clearfield qualified for the 2012 Visa Championships in St. Louis June 7-10 with a first-place effort at the United States Men’s Qualifier at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., earlier this month.

The two-time All-American received a 15.150 score from the judges to beat out national team member and two-time NCAA rings champion Brandon Wynn, an Ohio State graduate.

Rosenthal was one of five key members of the very successful 2012 Nittany Lion team who earned the opportunity to join the country’s top gymnasts and compete not only for national titles and berths on the U.S. National Team but also for the chance to move on to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials set for June 28-July 1.

Fellow Big Ten Conference champion Craig Hernandez tied national team member John Orozco for first place on the pommel horse with a 15.150 and also placed eighth in floor exercise with a 14.350.

Miguel Pineda was fourth on the rings with a 14.650, eighth on the parallel bars and 14th on the pommel horse.

Mackenzie Dow finished seventh in floor exercise, ninth on the pommel horse and high bar, 11th in the vault and 21st on the parallel bars.

Matthew Fellemen claimed eighth place in the all-around with an 83.450, his best finish a 10th on the high bar.

TEAMS

Baltimore Orioles: Picked by most, including me, to finish last in the AL East, the Orioles have the best record in the league as of Tuesday. Offensively, they are about what I expected outside of Adam Jones’ incredibly hot start (14 homers already), although I was shocked to find that they lead ALL OF BASEBALL in home runs with 65! – but the pitching has been the difference. After finishing dead last in all of MLB with a 4.89 ERA in 2011, the O’s have a 3.58 ERA thus far. The bullpen has carried the team, as they have five relievers with ERA’s under 2.00. I don’t see their run as sustainable, however, because the starting pitching has not been great – the three worst ERA’s on the team belong to starters, and eventually the bullpen will crack under the strain. The offense will be decent (although they won’t come close to leading the league in homers) and the O’s might well make a run at .500, but eventually they will fall back to earth, especially in baseball’s toughest division. 90+ wins chance: 10%.

LA Dodgers: Another team I picked to struggle mightily, the Dodgers have the best record in all of MLB, and the fact that they have outscored opponents by 50 runs already is even more impressive. The good pitching could have been predicted – after all, LA finished fifth in ERA last year, and Dodger Stadium has long been a pitcher’s paradise – but the offense has been a HUGE surprise. Matt Kemp was far and away the league’s best hitter before he got hurt, but AJ Ellis and Andre Ethier have also hit exceptionally well – and while the rest of the lineup lacks power, they are getting on base at an exceptional rate (.340 as a team, third in MLB).

The Dodgers have two decided advantages over the Orioles – their division is MUCH weaker, and their pitching is far more likely to stay strong. No other team in the NL West has outscored their opponents, and the teams I thought would contend, Colorado and Arizona, have each been outscored by 20+ runs and have had huge pitching issues. The Dodgers’ offense will cool off – fundamentally, it’s much the same group as last season, and the longer Kemp is out the less likely they can sustain this – but Lilly and especially Kershaw are stud starters, and Kelly Jansen appears to be the next great closer in the league. They won’t win 70% of their games, but with Arizona already 10.5 games behind, the Dodgers are clearly in the catbird seat out west. 90+ wins chance: 80%

St. Louis Cardinals: Their record (23-19) isn’t that impressive, but they’ve outscored their opponents by 58 runs, tops in the NL, and they lead the league in runs – and all that with Pujols gone, Carpenter injured, and Wainwright largely ineffective. On the pitching side, Lance Lynn has been their best starter and his peripheral numbers suggest that he may be for-real. Jake Westbrook has also pitched well, but look for him to regress as the year goes on. The Cards’ staff gives up their share of hits, but they simply avoid the free pass (only the Phillies have walked fewer batters) and they have a good defense to back them up. I think overall the pitching will decline a little as the year goes on, but it won’t collapse as long as Lynn retains his effectiveness.

The offense is another story – Rafael Furcal and Jon Jay aren’t going to hit close to .340 over a full season, Carlos Beltran isn’t going to slug .600, and their team on-base% of .344 and slugging % of .457 are not sustainable, especially with the serious injury to Lance Berkman. What those players have done through two months is very impressive, but I strongly believe a major regression is coming for this team’s offense. On the other hand, this is a mediocre division at best, and 85 wins might well be enough this year – if the offense stays above-average, and Wainwright finds his ace form, this team could capture the Central, albeit with 85-88 wins. I just don’t see the pieces here of a 90-win team, but time will tell. 90+ wins chance: 15%.

Cleveland Indians: I predicted that the AL Central was the most predictable division in the preseason, figuring that the Tigers would run away with it. We’ll get to Detroit’s struggles soon, but the Indians have exceeded expectations thus far. Cleveland has a better record than the Cardinals at 23-18, despite being outscored by six runs on the season. That’s a clue that they are playing ‘above their heads’ and will likely backslide soon. Offensively they have a solid core of good-not-great players in Jason Kipnis, Santana, and Cabrera – this will never be a GREAT offense, but it is unlikely to be a below-average attack either (much like last season, when the Indians finished ninth in the AL in runs). One would then think that the pitching is much-improved, but their team ERA is just over 4, good enough for 20th in MLB – last season it was 4.2 and ranked 23rd. Derek Lowe has carried the staff so far, and he’s not going to finish with an ERA below 4, much less the 2.15 he currently has.  In short, I don’t see a recipe for success here, they are a big bat and an ace pitcher short of true contention. 90+ wins chance: 5%.

Dave Glass can be reached at buggyracer@verizon.net.

The third-seeded Lady Bisons, who alternated wins and losses in their last seven regular season games, are coming off a big 4-1 victory over defending champion Punxsutawney Friday and will take a 10-10 record into the semifinal against the second-seeded and 14-4 Lady Dutch at the SMAHS Field.

The first pitch is set for 4:30 for the renewal of a long-standing rivalry that ended when Clearfield dropped out of the District 9 Northern Allegany Mountain League and the Central Penn League after the 2010 season.

The winner will challenge No. 1 seed Punxsy (11-6) next week for the title and a berth in the PIAA Tournament.

The Clearfield-St. Marys series has been one-sided, with the Lady Bisons prevailing in at least the last 13 meetings dating back to the 2004 season.

However, the last three were one-run squeakers, including a 1-0 duel between then-freshmen hurlers Heather Picard and Rachel Ginther on April 21, 2010, at the Bison Sports Complex.

Picard pitched a three-hitter with 14 strikeouts and three walks, while Ginther allowed just four hits, fanned 11, walked two and hit one.

They could be matched up again, though Lady Bison coach Bob Dixon has the option of going with Rachel Hoffman.

He has alternated the two all season, and it’s Picard turn.

The junior right-hander has a deceiving 3-7 record as six of the losses have been to District 6 playoff contenders.

Picard sports a 3.38 earned run average for 60 innings in the circle. She’s given up 71 hits and 53 runs, only 29 earned, while striking out 59 and walking just 11.

Hoffman, a sophomore right-hander, is 7-3 with a 2.00 ERA. She has struck out 89 and walked 23 in 70 innings. Opponents have managed 56 hits and 37 runs, 20 earned.

Ginther has matured into a quality pitcher for the Lady Dutch, piling up 152 strikeouts, issuing only 16 walks and surrendering just 59 hits and 15 earned runs in 97-2/3 innings for a dazzling 1.08 ERA, according to statistics on Maxpreps.com.

She is 12-4 with four shutouts in 17 starts, posting no-hitters against Ridgway and Johnsonburg and combining with Andrea Copelli for another against Bradford.

Her losses were 2-1 and 4-3 to Punxsy, 2-0 to Districts 2-4 Class AAAA hopeful Williamsport (15-3) and 3-1 to District 9 Class A top seed Elk County Catholic (16-3), a team she also beat 3-0 and 2-1.

“I don’t look for a lot of runs, unless we get some people on in front of Rachel and B.J. (Bowman) and then they come through,” Dixon said.

The No. 3 and No. 4 batters have accounted for 53 of Clearfield’s 154 hits, 21 of the 34 extra base blows and 36 of the 82 runs batted in.

After going hitless in 11 at-bats through four games, Bowman has produced eight multi-hit games and boosted her average to .424, with five home runs, one triple and seven doubles among her 25 hits. The senior center fielder has drive in 19 runs.

Hoffman, who has played in the outfield or been the designated player when not in the circle, boasts a team-high 28 safeties, including six doubles and two home runs, for a .394 average with 17 RBIs.

Other probable starters for the Lady Bisons will be Lucy Kovalick (.236, 8 RBIs) behind the plate, Becca Byerly (.313) at first base, Melinda Owens (.200) at second base, Andrea Butler (.241, 10 RBIs) at shortstop and Megan Vanderburgh (.200) at third base with Robyn McBride (.323), Mikayla Ebeling (.25o) or Tristan Lewis (.179) the corner outfielders.

While Clearfield checks in hitting .282 and averaging 4.65 runs, St. Marys counters with a .305 average and 7.5 runs per game.

Shortstop and leadoff batter Erica Sorg paces the Lady Dutch in average (.393), hits (22) and runs (24), but she has plenty of support with six other regulars in the .300 Club.

They are first baseman Raelyn Cunningham (.341, 15  hits, 10 RBIs), second baseman Kali Quagliani (.333, 19 hits, team-high 16 RBIs), designated player Cassie Wonderling (.321), right fielder Mia Keener (,319, 15 hits, 12 RBIs), third baseman Sav Krivonyak (.317, 13 hits, 12 RBIs) and Ginther (.312, 15 hits, 14 RBIs).

Keener, a senior, was a member of Lady Bisons teams as freshman and sophomore.

All signs point to a low-scoring game that might come down to which team plays better behind its pitcher.

Dixon is hoping his Lady Bisons will match a Lady Dutch defense that has made only 16 errors, about a third of Clearfield’s total miscues.

“We can’t give them extra outs,” he said. “We can’t give them a chance to break the game open by making a bad play.”

Lady Bison Scoreboard:

The games that will be played on Monday include Northern Tier rivals Otto-Eldred (#9) at Port Allegany (#8) with the winner to meet top seeded Elk County Catholic.  Number 10 DuBois Central Catholic will travel to meet the number seven squad of Keystone in the opening round while second seeded Smethport awaits the winner on Wednesday.

The final match-up for the second round on Wednesday finds Brockway (#6) battling defending champion Clarion (#3).

The Lady Tide have been disappointed in the second round for the past two years in district play.  Last year they were eliminated in by Smethport in a 1-0 game.  Two years ago the road closed at Coudersport in the second round by a 4-2 count.

“I feel pretty good about where we are in the bracket,” said Curwensville head coach Allen Leigey.  “We are about where we wanted to be.  The only move I would make if I could would be to change places with Clarion as far as the match-ups are concerned.  Regardless of where we are, the process is the same – we have to keep focused on winning the game and keep our bats rolling.”

Perhaps the toughest pill to swallow from last year’s departure was the fact that sophomore pitcher Tierra Shope tossed a one-hitter in the game against the Hubbers who were undefeated at the time.  Unfortunately, the one hit was a walk-off home run that was the difference in the game.  But that was her freshman year.  As a sophomore, Shope has pitched the Lady Tide to a 14-3 mark in 2012.  She has struck out 94 batters this season while allowing 35 free passes.  Her current ERA stands at 2.29 and has given up only one home-run this season.

Offensively, the Tide sends eight batters to the plate with averages over .300.  Senior first-basement Madi Peterman currently leads the team in hitting with a .476 mark, while shortstop Cheyenne Pentz and third baseman Molly Demchak are keeping pace hitting at .467 and .456 respectively.  Also turning in averages over the .400 point are senior designated player Megan Barrett (.429), and juniors Taylor Goodman (.417) and Sarah Wriglesworth (.412).  Catcher Tiffany Carter is hitting at a .392 pace and left-fielder Abby Johnson stands at .370.

“Alot of these girls have been around for the past two years of playoffs and have been a part of the ‘Big Game’ atmosphere,” Leigey said.  “They really won’t be nervous for this run and are ready to go further than we have in recent years.  There is not an easy out in our line-up, and they have shown that anyone can be the hero in any game.”

The Falcons are currently 13-2 on the season with a slightly higher power rating to give them the higher seed than Curwwensville.  The winner of this quarterfinal match-up would meet the winner of the ECC vs Otto-Eldred/Port Allegany winner for the semifinal.

“Nothing is easy when you’re facing a one-and-done schedule,” said Leigey.  “There’s a little redemption in our bag from the last two years, but we have to be ready to play to be able to move on.”

Wednesday’s game in Coudersport is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.

The District IX Class AA and AAA brackets feature just three teams in each.  Moniteau will travel to Redbank Valley in the Class AA semifinal before the winner meets Cranberry.  The AAA semifinal contest will see St. Marys hosting Clearfield for the right to play Punxsutawney in the finals.  Golden Tide fans may want to pay attention to the AA results as the Lady Tide will play in that class next year.

Lady Tide Scoreboard:

The Oakland Raiders.

As a lifelong fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, it pains me to write this column. But there are now four former Penn Staters playing for the Raiders. Truth be told, all four are pretty good guys.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the four Nittany Lions now plying their trade in Oakland.

Stefen Wisniewski — The crusty vet of the bunch, Wiz has been a Raider since 2011. Oakland took him in the second round. At 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, he’s even bigger (and better) than he was at Penn State.

Stefen Wisniewski has a season under his belt in the silver and black.

He paid immediate dividends for the Raiders. As a rookie, he started all 16 games as the Raiders went 8-8.

Jack Crawford — During this year’s NFL draft, Crawford was selected in the fifth round by the Raiders. He was the third Nittany Lion taken, going after Devon Still went in the second round to the Cincinnati Bengals and Johnnie Troutman, who was also taken in the fifth round by the San Diego Chargers.

Crawford was the first defensive end taken out of Penn State since Aaron Maybin was taken in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He was the fifth defensive end selected under the watch of defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

He heads to Oakland at 6-5, 274 pounds. He has a ton of untapped potential. He had some issues at Penn State when drug paraphernalia was found in his apartment. However, a solid combine and pro day made him a mid-round choice.

If Crawford develops like the Raiders hope he can, he could prove to be a mid-round steal.

Nathan Stupar — The State College Area High School product was selected in the seventh round by the Raiders. It was a surprise selection as Stupar had no contact with the Raiders prior to the draft. He was the 230th overall pick in the draft.

Stupar played outside linebacker at Penn State, but the Raiders will probably move him to the middle. He also figures to be a contributor on special teams.

Moving to the middle is challenging at any level. Stupar will have to do it in the pros.

“I’ve been playing outside my whole college career. I played some middle in some nickel packages,” Stupar said on a recent conference call. “I’m sure I’ll get used to it really fast. I’m a quick learner, and just being able to use my hands in tight and defeating blocks more easily.”

He will have to get bigger, stronger and faster to earn a spot on the Raiders’ opening day roster.

Chaz Powell — It was a bit of a surprise that Powell was not selected in the draft. The Susquehannock High School product played several positions at Penn State and was an exceptional kick returner.

However, during the three days of the NFL draft, Powell sat patiently and waited. He never heard his name announced on television.

Although there was interest from the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers and Detroit Lions, his phone never rang.

But his agent, Deryk Gilmore, told him to be patient.

It didn’t take long to land an offer. Powell signed with the Raiders on April 28 after the draft was complete.

In Oakland, defensive backs coach Clayton Lopez told Powell he will have a chance to compete for a job in the secondary. He will also get a crack at being a kick returner, something the Raiders desperately need.

If you need evidence of how good Powell is at returning kicks, simply watch the Penn State 2010 and 2011 season openers again. In both games, Powell returned kickoffs for touchdowns. He also electrified Beaver Stadiun in 2009, when he hauled in a 79-yard touchdown from Daryll Clark on the first play of the game in a night tilt with Iowa.

It’s those kinds of splash plays that the Raiders are hoping to see from Powell in training camp and the preseason.

If he can pull that off, he may just earn a spot with the silver and black.

In addition to Wisniewski, Crawford, Stupar and Powell, there’s another Centre County connection to the Raiders. Philipsburg-Osceola High School and University of Maryland graduate Jon Condo is the team’s long snapper.

Condo was a standout wrestler and football player for the Mounties before moving on to a successful collegiate career with the Terps.

He’s been with the Raiders for six seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 2011.

Chris Morelli is an award-winning writer/editor who resides in Centre County and covers Penn State athletics for gantdaily.com. He’s also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. You can e-mail Chris at morellionlion@gmail.com.

Last week, Jimmie Johnson gave owner Rick Hendrick win #200. This week, Johnson won his third All-Star Race, and gave Hendrick a ride to victory lane.

Who doesn’t love to go out and race just for a win and a paycheck; that’s the effort that the local drivers that race at Hummingbird Speedway or at Gamblers Raceway Park (set to open later this year) do every time they get on the dirt.  NASCAR doesn’t often get that opportunity to just go out and race, forgetting about points or a season title.

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is the one race every year that simply means drivers won their way into a race that delivers a huge paycheck, but no points ramifications.

It’s also provided many memories fans can always think back to when this race comes on the schedule.  The first All-Star Race, then named “The Winston” was in 1985, and was 70 laps.  The dominant driver that year was Darrell Waltrip, and he was long before the race was even introduced.  Rumors about his car were rampant during that race, as teams claimed his engine was bigger than required.  Owner Junior Johnson told him that he had a special engine for that race that would get him the win…one that would make 70 laps, and make each one count.

Waltrip went onto the victory, but right after taking the checkered flag, his car went up in smoke.  The legend is that he was told to hold the gas and clutch to blow the motor, preventing a full inspection.  To this day, D.W. says that wasn’t the case.

There was the “Pass in the Grass” by Dale Earnhardt in 1987, then Rusty Wallace’s spin on D.W. in 1989, leading to a brawl between the respective teams in the pits.  In 1992, the Charlotte Motor Speedway installed lights for the first time, and it’s first race was the Winston.  Davey Allison won that race, but crashed hard at the finish, ultimately being taken to the hospital.  It was appropriately deemed “One Hot Night.”

From Jeff Gordon’s infamous T-Rex car in 1997, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s rookie victory in 2000, or last year’s win by Carl Edwards that saw him hit a manhole cover while sliding through the grass (a race now nicknamed “Checkers AND Wreckers”), this night is all about taking away the attention on the race for a championship, and making it simply on winning one race.

It’s a different format, and has seen a lot of changes over the years.  From segments, to mandatory pit stops; inversions and eliminations; $200,000 paydays to now a $1 million incentive, the race is one that is simply all about victory.  Win, and you’re in.  Lose, and you’re looking on from the sidelines.

SHOOTOUT WINNER:  Dale Earnhardt Jr.

SHOOTOUT RUNNER-UP:  A.J. Allmendinger

SPRINT FAN VOTE WINNER:  Bobby Labonte

SEGMENT 1-4 WINNERS:  1-Johnson  2-Kenseth  3-Keselowski  4-Earnhardt Jr.

RESULTS:  1-Johnson  2-Keselowski  3-Kenseth  4-Kyle Busch  5-Earnhardt Jr.  6-Harvick  7-Ambrose  8-Kurt Busch  9-Kahne  10-Newman

NOTABLE FINISHES:  13-Gordon  17-Stewart  20-Hamlin  23-Edwards

CAUTIONS:  6 for 10 laps.  Lap 20 (Competition, Segment 1 break), 27-30 (Oil on track, #99 motor), 40 (Competition, Segment 2 break), 60 (Competition, Segment 3 break), 69-74 (Oil on track, #16 motor), 80 (Competition, Segment 4 break).

LEAD CHANGES:  7 among 7 drivers.  Kyle Busch 1-14, Johnson 15-20, Hamlin 21-36, Kenseth 37-40, Keselowski 41-60, Kurt Busch 61-62, Earnhardt Jr. 63-80, Johnson 81-90.

TIME OF RACE:  1 Hr, 28 Mins.

AVERAGE SPEED:  92.045 MPH

MARGIN OF VICTORY:  0.841 Seconds