MORGANTOWN — Buckhannon-Upshur coach Levi Bender believes Mylan Park’s ISS Field is starting to become a little bit of a home-field advantage for his softball team.
Thursday was the third time the Buccaneers played in Morgantown — opening the sectionals Monday against University, eliminating the Hawks on Wednesday and playing Morgantown in the double-elimination tournament.
B-U will have to make a fourth trip, though, today — weather depending — after it beat MHS 5-3 to force a win-or-go-home scenario for both teams.
“It’s a long trip to keep having to come back here, but as long as we keep winning, I don’t think the girls mind,” Bender said. “We can let it be an excuse, but if we do, then we’re not being what we should be, and that’s top-of-the-line athletes. We just have to put it in the back of our mind and not let it get in our way.”
Similar to Wednesday’s win against UHS, the Buccaneers capitalized on defensive miscues by the Mohigans to score three runs in the first inning. Two runners reached on infield errors and both came around to score on a double by Alli Robinson.
MHS eventually tied it at 3-3 in the fourth inning, but defensive struggles continues in the sixth inning at two more runs came across for B-U to take a 5-3 lead, a lead the Buccaneers would hold.
“We had five errors and they had two; we had nine hits and they had seven — that should pretty much tell you the story right there,” MHS coach Lorri Lipscomb said. “We weren’t fielding tonight and we obviously have to clean that up. We just kind of let it get into our heads tonight, I think.”
In the other dugout, Bender was thrilled with his team’s defensive effort. He believes it’s continually gotten better at the year’s gone and it’s peaking at the right time in the postseason.
B-U didn’t have any errors Wednesday and finished with two Thursday against MHS.
“Our defense is really stepping up,” Bender said. “We’ve averaged four errors throughout the season and we’ve had two total the last two days. We really made that a priority coming into this, and it’s helping our pitching, which is obviously helping our team.”
MHS starting pitcher Brooke Pyles went six innings and allowed five runs, though three were earned. B-U starter Alyssa Rohr tossed all seven innings to earn the win.
First pitch is set for 5 p.m. Friday.
