MORGANTOWN – Maddie Campbell’s first varsity softball ball game was certainly one to remember.
Her first pitch – not so much.
Campbell’s first offering from the circle went well above her catcher’s head and to the backstop. She ended up walking her first batter – but finished with eight strikeouts and allowed just two hits in a 7-2 win over Wheeling Park.
“I was a little nervous,” Campbell, a freshman, said. “I got settled in after that.”
She certainly did as she not only showed her dominance as a pitcher but also went 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI.
“She looks awesome,” UHS head coach Mindy Parks said of her young pitcher. “I debated a little bit about mixing it up tonight, but she was doing so well. I just wanted to keep the ball in her hand and get her that confidence.”
The Hawks (1-0) grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the third inning when Olivia Masoner slapped a two-run single to right field that scored Kelsey Park and Campbell.
But the Patriots (0-1) responded with their lone hits of the night in the fourth inning as Faith Randolph led off the inning with a double to left field and then scored when Makenna Kelly slugged a double to center field. Wheeling Park tied the game 2-2 when Kelly scored after Amber Thompson reached base on an error.
Once again, Campbell settled into a groove as she retired the next 10 batters in order as the Patriots never threatened again.
The UHS offense was also held in check until the sixth inning when it finally plated five runs.
Campbell provided the go-ahead score as she drove in Bree Royce on a fielder’s choice to third base. That opened the floodgates for the Hawks as four more runners scored in the inning. Senior Lauren Huebsch had a two-run double while Anna Argabrite and Ally Jansen each had RBI singles in the inning.
“Obviously it was our first game and we made some errors and had some jitters,” Wheeling Park head coach Pat Durkin said. “It’s a long season and we will get some of those mistakes corrected.”
Campbell led the UHS offense with two hits with Argabrite, Masoner, Ashlyn Weaver and Park each adding a single and Huebsch added her double.
Randolph and Kelly had the only two hits for the Patriots with each slugging a double. Amber Thompson was the losing pitcher for the Patriots as she pitched 6 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.
“We can hit much better than this,” Parks said. “But I think we showed that we are going to surprise some people.”
University returns to action today when it travels to Robert C. Byrd for a 5 p.m. contest.
By ERIC HERTER
WPHS 000 100 0 – 2 2 1
UHS 002 005 X – 7 8 1
WPHS – Derrow 2 0 0 0, Strothers 3 0 0 0, Randolph 3 1 1 0, Kelly 3 1 1 1, Kozlowski 2 0 0 0, Nolte 3 0 0 0, Ernest 2 0 0 0, Seiverston 2 0 0 0. Totals: 22 2 2 1.
UHS – Campbell 3 2 2 1, Argabrite 3 1 1 1, Huebsch 1 1 1 1, Jansen 4 0 1 1, Masoner 4 0 1 2, Spadafore 2 0 0 0, Royce 0 1 0 0, Lehosit 3 0 0 0, Weaver 2 0 1 0, Park 3 2 1 0. Totals: 25 7 8 6.
2B – WPHS: Randolph, Kelly. UHS: Huebsch.
WP – Campbell (1-0) 7.0ip 2r 1er 2h 8K 2BB
LP – Thompson (0-1) 6.1ip 3r 3er 5h 4K 3BB
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