WILLARD — Whether its the venue, the opponent, or the stage, there’s something about playing Bellevue in the district semifinals that brings out the best in Clear Fork pitcher Ashtynn Roberts.
For the second straight year Roberts stymied the Lady Red in the Division II district semifinals in Willard, leading the sixth-seeded Colts to a 6-0 win Tuesday afternoon.
Clear Fork (16-7) will play top-seeded Lexington for the district title at 5 p.m. Friday in Willard. Lady Lex knocked off Madison 3-2 in Tuesday’s early game.
Roberts was the pitcher of record when Clear Fork ousted Bellevue in the district semifinals last year. She was even better this time around, scattering four hits and retiring 14 of the final 16 batters she faced.
“I just really keep focusing on what I need to do and go out with a positive mindset,” Roberts said. “I really trust my teammates.”
The Colts gave Roberts all the run support she would need in the top of the third. Morgan Shafer was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second before Trinity Cook laced a run-scoring single to center.
Clear Fork blew it open in the fourth, scoring four runs on four hits. Roberts started the rally with a leadoff single before being lifted for courtesy runner Baylee Shoemaker. Pacey Chrastina stroked a one-out single before Macy Ousley’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed, allowing Shoemaker to score and Chrastina to move to third.
Ousley stole second and Katrina Rogers knocked in Chrastina with a single. Rogers stole second to put runners at second and third and Shafer belted a two-run double to the wall in left center for a 5-0 lead.
“Once one gets going, they all go,” first-year Clear Fork coach Chris Clapper said. “Once we got that first run across the plate, more were going to come.”
Clear Fork added another run in the sixth to make it 6-0. The rest was up to Roberts, who sat down 10 batters in a row in the middle innings before giving up a two-out single in the sixth.
“All season long she has been (a bulldog),” Clapper said. “She’s been great all season.”
Chrastina and Rogers each had two hits to lead the Colts. Shafer scored twice and knocked in two runs.
