MORGANTOWN — Something just wasn’t right for Morgantown High softball pitcher Mikayla Rogers on Tuesday night.
Facing a 2-0 deficit after just two innings against crosstown rival University, the MHS pitcher went to the bullpen between innings to try and figure things out.
“I needed to figure out my footing,” Rogers said. “My screwball wasn’t really coming in and I need that to come in. I figured out (UHS) was hitting the outside pitches really well and that screwball is one of my better pitches. I needed to correct that to start getting people out.”
Whatever she did worked just fine as Rogers surrendered just two hits in the final five innings and struck out seven as the Mohigans (2-2) grabbed a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over the Hawks (3-2).
While Rogers was busy making corrections, Morgantown’s offense was able to finally figure out UHS pitcher Autumn Stemple.
The Mohigans cut the UHS lead to 2-1 in the third inning when Jocelyn McCartney led off the inning with a double to left field. She later scored when first baseman Emily Goldcamp slapped a single to left field.
“This is always a big game,” MHS head coach Lorri Lipscomb said. “I think both teams usually play their best. We love it. The thing that I love is that we stay in the fight, we don’t give up.”
Morgantown tied the game in the fifth inning as McCartney, who hit in the ninth spot, worked a one-out walk and then scored when Goldcamp once again came through with a sacrifice fly to left field.
By then, Rogers had settled in, and the Hawks couldn’t muster any offense after their quick start to the contest.
“We just couldn’t string those hits together when we needed to,” UHS head coach Mindy Parks said. “We kind of got flat. We played a big game last night and sometimes it’s hard to have back-to-back games like this.”
The Hawks did pick up an emotional victory 3-0 over traditional power John Marshall on Monday. Parks even joked that she would have to get her athletic director, Jeff Bailey, to quit scheduling these games so close together.
University scored one run in the first when Meysa Heitmann hit a triple and then scored on an errant throw in the first inning. The Hawks tacked on their second run in the second inning when Ashlynn Weaver hit a triple to right-center field and then scored when Kennadi Barnhart grounded out to the pitcher.
That was all the scoring for the Hawks once Rogers figured things out.
“I started getting more strikeouts and our team started hitting and that momentum really started carrying us in the end,” Rogers said.
Morgantown grabbed the lead in the sixth inning when Jocelyn McCartney came through again. This time, she hit an infield single that scored courtesy runner Patience McCartney. The Mohigans added an insurance run in the seventh as Goldcamp hit a one-out double and then later scored on a single to center off the bat of Abigail Harki.
Goldcamp, Jocelyn McCartney and Rodgers paced the MHS offense with two hits each. Goldcamp added a double and two RBI while Harki also had her double.
University’s offense was led by Heitman who had two hits including the triple while Lauren Heubsch and Anna Argabite each had a double and Weaver added her triple.
Morgantown returns to action on Friday when it hosts Weir in a doubleheader that begins at 5 p.m. The Hawks return to action today when they travel to Preston for a 5:30 p.m. contest.
— Story by Eric Herter
