MORGANTOWN — Mental mistakes and defensive miscues by the Morgantown High softball team were the main reason Friday night’s win-or-go-home sectional championship against Buckhannon-Upshur was even necessary. It also may have served as a wake-up call for the Mohigans.
The Mohigans exploded with 10 runs in the bottom of the third — though it was interrupted with an hour-long lightning delay — and mercy ruled B-U 12-3 after five innings, claiming their first sectional title since 2017.
“We were better defensively, more confident and better with pitch selection tonight,” MHS coach Lorri Lipscomb said. “We were the team that I know that we are. Sometimes you just need a loss like last night to make you realize you do have to come in ready to play.”
Brianna McKenzie, one of two seniors for the Mohigans, did not start Thursday against B-U after taking a ball off her left wrist Tuesday against University. She did pinch hit for the final out of the loss, but was back in her cleanup spot Friday.
McKenzie drove in Morgantown’s first two runs of the game in the second inning and her third inning drive scored two more, putting the Mohigans up the necessary eight runs for the mercy rule finish.
“This is an amazing feeling and I’m really proud of all the girls on this team,” she said. “I don’t know where I would be without them.”
The win advances Morgantown to the regional championship series, where it will face the winner of Region I, Section 1 between Wheeling Park, John Marshall and Brooke.
The series, which begins May 14, is best-of-3.
Perhaps the hero for the Mohigans was pitcher Gracie Haines, who battled through the poor weather conditions to toss all five innings. She allowed three runs in the third inning, struggling to grip the ball in a steady rain.
After the delay, Haines went back out for the fourth and didn’t have good command, walking the first two batters. Then she fought back to keep the Buccaneers off the scoreboard.
“She’s just a competitor,” Lipscomb said. “She’s just got that mentality and she throws hard. She has what it takes to get the job done. When you tell her what she needs to do, she’ll get it done.”
Haines allowed just two hits and struck out four in her five innings.
Haines, McKenzie and Breonna McKenzie each had two RBIs to lead the Mohigans. Ava Anderson, Brooke Pyles and Lilly Kooser each scored two runs.
After coach Levi Bender praised his team’s defense Thursday, B-U committed six errors Friday. None of Morgantown’s 12 runs were earned.
