Beaver’s historic run ends in PIAA semis
LORETTO, Pa. — One of the most remarkable runs by any WPIAL team in any sport came to a stunning end Monday afternoon at Saint Francis University — and with it, one of the WPIAL’s greatest athletes closed the book on her legendary high school career.
Led by Virginia Tech recruit Payton List, the defending WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A softball champion Beaver Bobcats — who came into the game riding a 42-game winning streak — watched a late lead slip away in a dramatic 2-1 loss to Clearfield (21-3) in the PIAA Class 4A semifinals. Clearfield trailed, 1-0, with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but managed to scrape a run across to tie the score before walking it off with a two-out infield single with the bases loaded in the seventh.
“I know everybody was talking about their 42-game win streak, and they’re a great team,” Clearfield coach Derek Danver said. “But my girls are gamers. … I never doubt my girls. They show up in the biggest moments.”
Fittingly, it was Clearfield sophomore Ruby Singleton who delivered the winning single to end Beaver’s season.
“I didn’t realize it was all that [pressure] at first,” Singleton said. “Honestly, it was their turn to know how it feels to lose.”
Clarion recruit Emma Hipps was stellar in the circle for Clearfield, allowing 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 8 in a complete-game effort.
“I think I was [getting overlooked],” Hipps said. “I think you can look at my stats and if you look at what I can do, I think I can compete with [List],and obviously it showed out there.”
Until Monday, the Bobcats (21-1) had not lost a game in more three years, dating to a 5-4 loss to South Park in the WPIAL Class 3A quarterfinals in May 2019. They were one win away from a return trip to a PIAA championship appearance, and only two wins away from becoming the first WPIAL team to complete back-to-back perfect seasons.
Instead, they’ll have to settle for back-to-back WPIAL titles and one of the longest winning streaks in WPIAL history — a historic run of success that won’t soon be forgotten.
“It hurts and it stings right now, but I think in the grand scheme of things when they go back and look at their career, they’re going to be proud of what they accomplished,” Beaver coach Amy Haggart said.
In the final start of her illustrious career, List struck out 8 while allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, and she also scored her team’s only run after drawing an intentional walk in the third. She finished her senior season 19-1 with 271 strikeouts.
“I don’t know if they’re the best team [we’ve faced], but they’re up there,” List said.
After Danver chose to intentionally walk List with two outs in the third, Bobcats freshmen Taylor Young and Sami Springman made the decision backfire with backto-back singles to bring List home for a 1-0 lead. Danver then decided to intentionally walk Hanna Crowe to bring Kayla Cornell to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.
Known for her clutch hitting in the postseason, Cornell nearly broke the game open with a flare to shallow left-center field, but Clearfield shortstop Alaina Fedder made a spectacular diving catch to save at least two runs and end the inning.
Beaver’s 1-0 lead held up until the sixth, when Lauren Ressler laced a two-out double and Olivia Bender followed with a game-tying RBI single for Clearfield. Then, with two outs in the seventh in a 1-1 game, List hit Alexis Benton with a pitch before allowing a single to Alexis Cole.
Faced with the decision of pitching to Hipps or walking her intentionally, Haggart initially chose to let List pitch to her — but after List threw the first pitch for a ball, Haggart changed her mind and chose to walk Hipps to load the bases. List was visibly unhappy with the decision.
“We did research on [Hipps]. [List] held her down, but you never know — one pitch could have completely opened that up,” Haggart said. “Giving us the chance to have any base available for a forceout was the reason why we did it.”
That brought Singleton to the plate with the game on the line, and she hit a ground ball up the middle that Young could not make a play on. The winning run came home to score, and Clearfield’s players celebrated in the infield as the Bobcats looked on in shock.
“You can’t say anything but just to be proud of their effort,” Haggart said. “Those girls left it all out there. I couldn’t be more proud of them, win or lose. It’s been a heck of a ride with them.”