Yough blanks Belle Vernon behind senior pitcher Karlie Clark

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, May 8, 2018 | 10:03 PM

There is usually a lot on the line when the Yough and Belle Vernon softball teams meet. And while the Cougars already clinched the Section 2-4A title, this game still had a lot more riding on it than pride.

No. 2 Yough stayed undefeated in the section with a solid 2-0 victory behind senior pitcher Karlie Clark, who started instead of junior ace Kierra Waywood, who is nursing a sore right elbow.

Clark allowed five hits and walked four. She was backed by a solid defense.

No. 3 Belle Vernon (9-3, 16-7) finished tied for second place with Elizabeth Forward.

Yough (12-0, 15-3) defeated Belle Vernon, 4-0, earlier this season behind Waywood's no-hitter.

Clark doesn't have the speed or curveball that Waywood has, but Belle Vernon coach Tom Rodriguez said her changeup gave his batters fits.

Belle Vernon's Bailey Parshall allowed six hits and struck out nine.

“Bailey pitched well. We just didn't get any timely hits,” Rodriguez said. “We didn't make plays behind her.”

Yough grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a two-out rally. Savannah Manns singled, Clark was hit by a pitch and senior shortstop Hannah Bach brought home the run with a perfect push bunt past Parshall to score Manns from second base.

“Hannah has the green light to bunt at any time,” Yough coach Art Harvey said. “She looked at the defense and did a great job.”

Another aggressive baserunning move got Yough a second run. Sammie McGhee beat out a bunt and scored on a double by Kayley Westerman in the sixth.

“When you play against Bailey, you have to be aggressive on the bases,” Harvey said. “You have to take advantage of your opportunities, and we did.”

Bach, who will play at Pitt, said beating Belle Vernon was huge.

“They're our biggest rival,” she said. “You never want to lose to them.”

Bach made a leaping catch of line drive in the sixth inning to quell a Belle Vernon rally that started on consecutive hits by Kourtney Gavatorta and Mekenzie Sokol. Clark got a flyout and a strike out before Bach's big catch.

Yough also made sure Parshall didn't hurt them at the plate, walking her intentionally four times.

“We tried something different by putting Bailey in the leadoff spot, and they walked her,” Rodriguez said. “I was hoping she came up with the bases loaded to see what they would have done them.”

Harvey said the win was huge for Clark and the rest of his seniors.

“She knew what was needed, and she performed,” Harvey said.

Clark said: “I have all the faith in my teammates and our defense.”

Paul Schofield is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at pschofield@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Schofield_Trib.

Tags: Belle Vernon, Yough