DUBOIS — Emma Hipps may be a rookie when it comes to varsity softball, but she has pitched like a seasoned veteran for much of the spring.

Unfortunately for Karns City, that trend continued Wednesday evening.

Clearfield's freshman star struck out nine, walked none and limited the Gremlins to just five hits as the Bison claimed the District 9 Class 3A title with a 5-1 victory at Heindl Field.

“We scouted them against Brookville and knew she was good,” said KC coach Mike Stitt. “She's one of the hardest throwers we faced this year.”

Hipps allowed just four base runners over the last six innings, one of them reaching on an error. She lowered her ERA to 1.60.

“She had success at the lower levels and I knew she would be good,” said Clearfield coach Derek Danver, “but I didn't think she'd be this dominant.”

Clearfield's defensive support for its pitcher was not good in the first inning. KC's Mackenzie Dunn and Garrah Milochik both reached on a base hit with two outs before a pair of errors allowed Dunn to score to tie the game.

Hipps stranded a runner at third base to end the inning and the Gremlins' offense sputtered the rest of the game.

“We didn't put the ball in play and when we did, it was weak,” said Stitt. “But kudos to Clearfield. They played well.”

KC starting pitcher Logan Byers matched Hipps early, surrendering just one run through the first three innings, but she ran into trouble in the fourth.

Lauren Ressler singled and Kyra Mollura walked to start the inning. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Alexis Benton's base hit.

Things went from bad to worse for KC in the next inning. With two runners on, Olivia Bender drove them in when she lined a pitch off Byers' right shin. The pitcher remained in the game for two more batters — Ressler doubled and Mollura walked — before Byers was lifted for Makenzie Shay.

“Logan wears her heart on her sleeve and she wanted to stay out there,” Stitt said, “but that was a hard shot she took.”

The two runs in the top of the fifth put Clearfield (12-9) up 5-1.

“I can't say that it put the game away,” said Danver, “but we have not lost a game this year when scoring four or more runs, so it definitely gave us more confidence.”

Shay settled things down for the Gremlins, but KC's scoring chances evaporated with Hipps in the circle. She stranded a runner at third in the bottom of the fifth and at second in the sixth before working a perfect seventh.

The Gremlins finish the 2019 campaign with a record of 16-2.

“We weren't a well-known team at the start of the season,” said Stitt, “but we put up a lot of numbers. It was a great season.”

Clearfield 100 220 0 — 5 6 3

Karns City 100 000 0 — 1 5 1

W: Emma Hipps 7IP (9K, 0BB). L: Logan Byers 4.1IP (1K, 5BB).

Clearfield (12-9): Emma Hipps 1B R, Olivia Bender 2-1B 3-RBI, Lauren Ressler 1B 2B R, Alexis Benton 1B 2-RBI

Karns City (16-2): Mackenzuie Dunn 3-1B, Garrah Millchik 1B, Makenzie Shay 2B

Otto-Eldred 7, A-C Valley 4

The Falcons' hopes of making the state playoffs ended with this loss in the District 9 Class A consolation game.

While A-C Valley plated single tallies in four different innings, the Terrors scored multiple runs in three frames. Included was a three-run bottom of the fourth that gave them a 5-3 edge they would not surrender.

A-C Valley (13-4) cut its deficit to one run in the top of the sixth when Brogan Armagost's single scored Meah Ielase.

Otto-Eldred pitcher Abby Wolfe allowed no further damage, leaving runners at second and third by getting Baylee Blauser to pop out to end the threat.

The Terrors then added to their lead with Kayley Heller's two-run single in the bottom of the inning.

“We were one run down and just a walk and a hit away from tying the game,” said A-C Valley coach Bob Bowser. “Those two runs took the wind from our sails.”

Both teams had 11 hits. A-C Valley leadoff hitter Emily Wetzel singled, doubled and tripled.

A-C Valley 101 101 0 — 4 11 3

Otto-Eldred 200 302 x — 7 11 1

W: Abby Wolfe 7IP (6K, 1BB). L: Baylee Blauser 6IP (5K, 8BB).

A-C Valley (13-4): Emily Wetzel 1B 2B 3B 2-R RBI, Baylee Blauser 1B 2B, Meah Ielease 1B 2B 2-R, Brogan Armagost 1B RBI

Otto-Eldred: Autumn Smith 3B 2-R, Reilly Raught 2-1B 3-RBI, Abby Wolfe 3-1B, Kayley Heller 1B 2-RBI, Harlee VanScooter 2-1B