Bellefonte evens season series with Central Mountain

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: May 3, 2019

By Kenny Varner

BELLEFONTE -They protected their home turf.

After falling earlier in the season to a tough Central Mountain team, the Bellefonte softball team evened the season series Friday, defeating the Wildcats 5-2.

The Red Raiders have been on quite the hot streak as of late, winning seven of their last nine game after a slow start.

Bellefonte hurler Lexi Rogers had another strong outing allowing two runs, scattered six hits and struck out eight.

“We are trending in the right way now. I don’t like the word peak because when you hear a word like peak means you hit a point. I like the word trending. So we’re heading in the right direction now,” said Bellefonte coach Travis Foster. “Lexi three great today. She did a really nice job in the circle. She competed well. In the field defensively we were really good. She gave up six hits and I don’t think any of them were hit hard. She really worked the ball around the zone today.”

Bellefonte had one batter finish with multiple hits

Hanna Lauck went 2-for-2 with 3RBI and a run.

Central Mountain also had a multiple hitter. Morgan Wetzel went 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Despite the loss Central Mountain outhit Bellefonte 6-5.

“We just waited too long to get the bats going. We needed to start at about the third inning. It just took us too long to catch on,” said Central Mountain coach Fred Caldwell. “We made couple double plays tonight. That’s what we told them out there, that we’ve been playing pretty the last few games strong defensively. Today we just made some mistakes that cost us. We need to clean that up. It’s the time of year when you can’t be making those mistakes.”

In the first, Rogers sent down the Wildcats down as three of four batters succumbing to strike outs.

Wetzel notched Central Mountain’s first hit.

Central Mountain pitcher sent down the Red Raiders in order, sending it to the second inning as a scoreless tie.

Bellefonte kept the Wildcats in check in the second while its offense manufactured the first run of the game.

Sara DeHaas hustled our an infield hit to third.

She then stole second.

Emily Pugh hit a sacrifice fly, moving DeHaas to third.

Lissi Przbys brought in DeHaas as she sent a sizzler into left field, making it 1-0.

Bellefonte went back to work in the third as the added two more runs to its lead.

Emma DeHaas reaches base on a Wildcat miscue.

Lauck singled down third scoring DeHaas.

Lauck later scored on an error on an Emily Pugh at bat.

Rogers continued to keep the Wildcat batters at bay.

The Red Raiders scored two more in the bottom of the fourth to increase their lead to 5-0.

Lily Gardner started off the inning with taking one for the team as she was hit by a pitch.

DeHaas singled and moved Gardner to second.

Lauck roped a double to the left centerfield fence, driving in DeHaas and Gardner.

Going into the sixth, Central Mountain tried to battle its way back in the game, posting two runs.

Alyssa Fisher singled in a looping single.

Teammate Caitlyn Watson looped a second single into shallow centerfield Wetzel brought Fisher in on a blooping single.

Autumn Dershem bounced into a fielders’ choice allowing Watson to score and Wetzel to reach third.

Wetzel was stranded as the Wildcats cut into the Red Raider lead to 5-2.

However, that would be all Central Mountain would be able to bring in as Bellefonte shut the Wildcats down in the seventh as the Red Raiders went onto the 5-2 victory.

Central Mountain plays Hollidaysburg on Monday while Bellefonte hosts Clearfield.

Bellefonte 5, Central Mountain 2

CM 000 002 0 – 2 6 3

BE 012 200 x – 5 5 1

WP: Lexi Rogers

LP: Madi Knepp

Multiple hitters: Central Mountain – Morgan Wetzel 3-for-3 RBI. Bellefonte – Hanna Lauck 2-for-2 3RBI, Run.

HR: None

3B: None

2B: Central Mountain – None. Bellefonte -Lauck.