High hopes
Brownsville softball team excels behind school strikeout leader Clark
BROWNSVILLE 鈥� Brownsville鈥檚 softball team has come excruciating close to making the WPIAL playoffs the past two seasons.
The Lady Falcons finished one game out of a playoff spot in 2022 and tied for fourth place last year but lost out on a tiebreaker with Keystone Oaks.
This year Brownsville鈥檚 goal is to try to finally break through and earn a postseason spot.
But that鈥檚 not all.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 won a section championship since 1986,鈥� Lady Falcons head coach Jane Bock said. 鈥淚 would love to try to bring back another one to the district.鈥�
Brownsville showed how formidable it could be on Wednesday afternoon in a 9-0 Section 4-2A victory over visiting Washington.
Ava Clark rang up 16 strikeouts in a dominating performance, throwing a one-hitter, and Zaydee Downer knocked in three runs with a home run and a single as Brownsville improved to 3-1 in the section and 6-3 overall.
That left the Lady Falcons on top of the section standings, one-half game ahead of Frazier, which handed them their lone section loss, Bentworth, whom they defeated on April 11, and Waynesburg, who were each 2-1 going into Thursday鈥檚 games.
Clark, a junior who is a West Liberty recruit, was honored after the game for recently eclipsing Stacey Knox鈥檚 school record for strikeouts. The hard-throwing right-hander is now at 443. Knox struck out 376 for the Lady Falcons from 2006 to 2009.
鈥淚t feels so good to accomplish something like that,鈥� Clark said.
Brownsville was coming off a roller-coaster, emotional 3-2 walk-off win over Waynesburg Central on Tuesday when Clark, one strike away from a shutout, gave up a game-tying, two-run single to Kalee Piper in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the inning Lyla Gill singled, Blair Long walked and Emma Leigh Bailey loaded the bases when her sacrifice bunt was misplayed for an error. Jordyn Davis, pinch-running for Gill, then scored the winning run on a wild pitch.
鈥淭hat was frustrating,鈥� Clark said of allowing the game-tying hit. 鈥淏ut I knew my team had my back and that we鈥檇 find a way to score. My teammates always have my back.鈥�
Clark ended that game with 18 strikeouts, one away her career high, and just one walk.
Bock commended her team for staying mentally tough in the face of adversity in the final inning.
鈥淲e have a confident team that gets along great,鈥� Bock said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had this kind of team chemistry for a long time and it鈥檚 nice to see them all meshing together and putting forth the effort and encouraging each other.鈥�
鈥淥ur team has good energy and we鈥檙e having a lot of fun,鈥� Downer said.
Bock has a why not us attitude.
鈥淚 feel anybody in this section can be a contender or champion, including us, and we showed that against Waynesburg,鈥� she said.
Brownsville pounded out 14 hits in the win over Washington with three coming from Mia O鈥橦ern. The Lady Falcons also got a triple, single and two RBIs from Alexa Pellick, a triple, single and an RBI from Skyler Gates, a double, single and an RBI from Gill and a double and an RBI from Clark.
Downer gave Clark the only run she would need when the left-handed batter smacked a solo homer in the first inning.
鈥淚 hit three last year as a freshman but this was my first this year,鈥� Downer said. 鈥淚 was sitting on the fastball. I was pretty sure it was gone when I hit it. Once we get a lead we always feel good with Ava on the mound.鈥�
Brownsville made it 5-0 with a four-run third inning that included back-to-back, high-velocity RBI hits from Clark, who smoked a double down the left-field line, and Gates, who blistered a triple into right-center.
鈥淲e have some girls who can hit the ball pretty hard, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� Bock said. 鈥淎va, she helps herself with that bat, too.鈥�
Gill followed with another run-scoring double and scored on an error.
The Lady Falcons put the game away with a four-run fifth as Pellick and Downer delivered consecutive two-run singles.
Mayaja Lee鈥檚 clean single to center in the second inning was the lone hit for the Lady Prexies (0-3, 4-3) whose only other baserunner was also Lee in the fifth when she reached after a swinging strikeout when the ball eluded catcher Long. Mackenzie Patterson bunted Lee to second but Clark then got an inning-ending strikeout.
Bock lauded her ace pitcher.
鈥淎va is a great kid, has a wonderful work ethic and is just so motivated,鈥� Bock said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a special young girl. All the work that she鈥檚 put in is paying off for her and I鈥檓 just so happy for her.
鈥淪he鈥檚 really carried us since she was a freshman but I鈥檓 glad we鈥檙e able to get a little more offensive support for her this year and she鈥檚 reaping the rewards from that, and her defense also.鈥�
Clark gets along well with Bock.
鈥淪he鈥檚 one of my teachers, too,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淲e just have a great bond on the field and off the field.鈥�
Clark wants to keep improving 鈥� she has a goal of 700 career strikeouts 鈥� and has high hopes for the Lady Falcons.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to keep it going,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is the best conference we鈥檝e played it but we鈥檙e still very confident. We have a few good freshmen who have come in and helped us.
鈥淢yself, I have more confidence all-around now than I ever did, and I really like my catcher Blair. We work so well together. She helps me a lot.鈥�
Clark鈥檚 arsenal includes six pitches.
鈥淚 throw a fastball, knuckleball, screwball, curveball, riseball and drop,鈥� she explained.
A knuckleball?
鈥淚 throw that every once in a while to keep batters off guard,鈥� Clark said with a laugh.
She gives credit to trainer, Megan Uher for helping her evolve as a pitcher.
鈥淢egan has helped me out the most over the years,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 taught me everything. I still work with her now.鈥�
Bock, whose staff includes assistants Patty Columbia, Bill Rouse, Kami Franks, is in her 41st year as Lady Falcons head coach.
鈥淚鈥檓 still loving it,鈥� Bock said. 鈥淚 saw all the youth league girls come out today and I told them I鈥檒l see you in a few years. I started in 1983 as an assistant coach and then I took over after that.
鈥淲e have a team that鈥檚 clicking together. They support each other and every game we鈥檙e having different girls come through to help us win. We have some nice freshmen that are battlers and that鈥檚 actually inspiring our upperclassmen.
鈥淲e have high hopes. We鈥檝e just got to go out and keep grinding and putting the work in and show everyone what we can do.鈥�