Karras and Goble Lead the Way as Casey-Westfield Softball Downs Clifton Central 6-1

A perfect performance at the plate from junior Anna Karras and a suffocating combined effort in the pitching circle powered the Casey-Westfield varsity softball team to a 6-1 home tournament victory over Clifton Central on Saturday.

Clifton Central manufactured the game’s first run right out of the gate. In the top of the first inning, Ella Ponton reached base on an error, stole second, and eventually came around to score an unearned run, giving the visitors an early 1-0 advantage. However, that would be the extent of the damage against the Casey-Westfield pitching staff, as the hosts quickly shut the door and took control of the contest.

Casey-Westfield answered immediately in the bottom of the first inning to tie the game, then added a single run in the third to take the lead for good. The hosts blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth, stringing together a crucial three-run rally, before tacking on a final insurance run in the sixth.

The Casey-Westfield offense was relentless, racking up 13 hits on the day and utilizing aggressive baserunning to keep the Clifton Central defense off balance. Karras was the offensive catalyst, going a flawless 3-for-3 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a staggering four stolen bases.

Senior Ava Goble was equally impressive in the batter’s box, finishing 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Senior Lucy Moore provided the team’s power surge, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, and two RBIs. Sophomore Gabriela Frye also notched a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two stolen bases, while sophomore C. Kusterman made the most of her opportunity by going 1-for-1 with two runs, an RBI, and a steal.

In the circle, three Casey-Westfield pitchers combined to fan 11 Clifton Central batters while allowing zero earned runs. Sophomore Arhianna Bonds handled the bulk of the early work, tossing four innings and allowing just three hits and the lone unearned run while striking out four. Goble provided dominant relief, striking out six batters over just two scoreless innings of work. Sophomore G. Gilbert closed out the final frame, striking out one to seal the victory.

For Clifton Central, Emily Ponton took the loss after a solid start in the circle. She struck out five batters over 4.1 innings but surrendered five earned runs to the red-hot Casey-Westfield lineup. Ponton was also a bright spot offensively for the visitors, finishing 2-for-4 alongside teammate Rayven Perkins, who also collected a pair of hits.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Softball is scored by innings)

Scoring Drives

• First Quarter (Inning)

  • Clifton Central: 1 Run (Unearned)

  • Casey-Westfield: 1 Run

• Third Quarter (Inning)

  • Casey-Westfield: 1 Run

• Fifth Quarter (Inning)

  • Casey-Westfield: 3 Runs

• Sixth Quarter (Inning)

  • Casey-Westfield: 1 Run (Unearned)

Individual Statistics

• PITCHING:

  • Casey-Westfield: Arhianna Bonds 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K; Ava Goble 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K; G. Gilbert 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.

  • Clifton Central: Emily Ponton (L) 4.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K; Laney Bussian 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.

• BATTING:

  • Casey-Westfield: Anna Karras 3-3 (2 R, 1 RBI, 4 SB); Ava Goble 3-4 (1 2B, 1 RBI); Lucy Moore 2-3 (1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI); Gabriela Frye 2-4 (1 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB); C. Kusterman 1-1 (2 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB); G. Gilbert 1-3; H. Schackmann (#7) 1-3 (1 R).

  • Clifton Central: Emily Ponton 2-4; Rayven Perkins 2-4; Alexa White 1-3; Mia Perzee 1-3; Keira Donnelly 1-3 (1 BB); Bella Kempen 1-3; Ella Ponton 0-4 (1 R, 1 SB).

• FIELDING:

  • Casey-Westfield: Stats not reported. Team: 1 Error.

  • Clifton Central: Keira Donnelly 5 PO; B. Perkins 4 PO; Emily Ponton 2 PO, 1 A; Ayla White 2 PO; Mia Perzee 2 PO. Team: 1 Error.