Clinton Juniors battle but fall at state softball tourney

BERWICK, PA – The Clinton Junior softball proved it’s one of the top Little League softball teams in the state on Thursday and Friday. While Clinton headed home with a 1-2 mark, Manager Kevin Tripp’s team stayed with some of the state’s best. 

After opening with a 15-12 win over Caln on Thursday, Clinton fell twice on Friday, both well played, tightly contested contests, 5-4 to Lakeland on Friday morning and 2-0 to Plymouth Friday evening. The two losses ended the Clinton season but in each game they came within a hit or two of winning both. 

Friday morning saw Clinton battle back from a 4-0 deficit to notch a 4-4 tie after four innings against Lakeland, only to see the Meadville area team use a couple singles to post a run in the top of the fifth and then hold off Clinton for the remainder of the game. Lakeland’s standout pitcher Makaila Obenrader piled up 15 strikeouts but Clinton made her work. Held hitless through the first three innings, Clinton came back with their four-spot in the fourth: Ava Doyle opened with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Eva Sockman singled, then Jacie Tripp was hit by a pitch and Rylan Andrews drilled a double to left, driving in two runs, Andrews scoring on a Lakeland misplay. Clinton would get a couple more hits the rest of the game but could not come up with a run. 

In addition to the team’s three hits in the fourth, they got two singles from Taylor Doyle (Ava’s twin), one each in the fifth and seventh, but it was not quite enough. Sockman, just 12 years of age, was outstanding in the circle, going the distance, giving up five runs, three of them unearned. Her defensive made numerous outstanding plays behind her. 

The loss put Clinton in the loser’s bracket and it was another difficult loss ending the team’s season. Plymouth scored a run in the first and a run in the second, only one of which was earned, but it was enough.  MeKenna Franquet was solid on the rubber, going the route with a 7-hitter. Again the Clinton defense was steady.   

Clinton matched Plymouth in hits with seven, but not unlike the first Friday game, could not get the clutch hit when needed, as evidenced by the nine runners left on base. Franquet led the hitting with two doubles, Tripp had a double and singles came from Ava Doyle, Sockman, Taylor Doyle and Shea Yost.