MORGANTOWN — It was quiet as Morgantown sophomore Lillian Kooser stepped up to the plate Friday evening’s softball game against John Marshall. As she let loose a pair of practice swings, preparing for the next pitch, you could hear a voice booming from the Morgantown dugout.
“It’s not freaking hype in this dugout,” yelled the voice.
Suddenly, the chatter of nearly 20 distinct voices filled the air around Mylan Park as you could feel the energy radiating from the Morgantown players. That spark of energy didn’t die down until well after the Mohigans defeated the Monarchs, 6-3, capturing their seventh win of the year.
“The energy is big. We’ve got a solid good group of girls and when they’re not on the field they’re into the game here in the dugout,” said coach Lorri Lipscomb.
The key to the liveliness among the group, according to freshman Breonna Marietta, is so simple that it’s easy to overlook — each girl knows to show up with a positive attitude.
“The energy on this team is crazy. We come in with a positive mindset every game. All the girls are so positive 24/7. This group of seniors is amazing, and all the girls are just a pleasure to be around,” she said.
Morgantown trailed John Marshall 3-0, entering the fourth inning, when the Mohigans reeled off six unanswered runs to take the lead. Lipscomb credited the rally to her team’s ability to adjust to pitchers quickly during game situations.
“Our kids make great adjustments at the plate,” she said. “They see a pitcher just a couple of times and they learn the adjust and make good contact on the ball.”
The game-winning play for Morgantown came on a double from Marietta that drove home three runs, breaking a 3-3 tie. Lipscomb said the freshman’s play-making performance in the clutch is representative of the type of mentality her group brings in big-game scenarios.
“I just knew I had to get those runs in — we hadn’t beat this team in years. That’s what was going through my mind, just to get some runs in. I wanted to score as many as I could,” Marietta said.
Morgantown (7-1) is off to a hot start to the season — earning five wins in six games during spring break play in Florida and is currently undefeated against in-state opponents.
“I knew with this group of young ladies we have, this would be the year to make it happen. We’re real solid all the way around,” Lispcomb said.
