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For the DuBois Area High School softball team, it had both working for it Wednesday afternoon as the Lady Beavers shut out Clearfield 8-0 to open the season at the new Highland Street field.
Leah Wallock was impressive on the mound as she earned the complete game win. Wallock only gave up three hits while striking out four. She was in command of the strike zone all game. Wallock didn't walk anyone and 58 of her 88 pitchers went for strikes.
"Today Leah was very effective and she knew that the defense was going to be solid behind her," DuBois head coach Shawn Deemer said. "Everyone can relax and play well together when we are getting strikes and the defense is fielding the ball."
Clearfield pitcher Mandy Rowles was just as impressive early, but the Beavers got to Rowles the second time through the lineup.
Leading 1-0, DuBois sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth inning.
Kirsten Wilcox led off the inning with an infield single up the middle and Kristine Foltz followed with a base hit to right field.
After Lorianne Barbey walked to load the bases, Wallock grounded the first pitch from Rowles to second baseman Alana Luzier.
Luzier's throw home got by Kenzie McGovern, which allowed Wilcox and Foltz to score.
Rowles then hit Meg Brown to load the bases for Brittany Sayers.
Sayers lined the second pitch from Rowles into center field for a three-run triple.
"The bottom of our lineup did a nice job today," Deemer said. "Brittany is a senior and it was nice to have someone up with her experience at bat with the bases loaded."
DuBois also had some underclassmen that got involved in the action.
Freshman Carly Wallock drove in two runs for DuBois. Wallock's RBI single scored Sayers in the fourth and she had a sacrifice fly in the sixth that scored freshman Lindsay Obremski, who was on with a pinch-hit triple.
The lead was more than enough for Wallock. After allowing a base hit to Alyssa Anderson in the fifth inning, Wallock retired the final nine batters of the game.
Wallock needed only seven pitches to sit down the Lady Bisons in order in the sixth inning and 10 in the seventh to get the win.
"It was good for us to come out and get a nice win," Deemer said. "Clearfield is full of potential and they are fundamentally sound. When Mandy is on, she can be tough to hit and Luzier is a tough out."
Rowles pitched six innings for Clearfield. She allowed six hits and struck out eight while walking one.
The walk by Rowles came back to hurt the Lady Bisons as DuBois scored in the first inning without a hit.
Alysha Lange walked to start the game and moved to second on a passed ball.
Lange stole third, but McGovern's throw went into the outfield, allowing Lange to score.
"It is nice when we can manufacture some runs early to get the lead and put some pressure on the other team," Deemer said."
DuBois returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Franklin.
