MORGANTOWN — For the second time in ten years since Mindy Parks has been the head coach, the University High School softball team has reached the 20-win mark. The Hawks defeated Buckhannon-Upshur 9-0 in a shortened four-inning shutout victory on Tuesday evening at Lynch Field.
UHS freshman pitcher Maddie Campbell needed just 66 pitched through five innings to earn her 13th victory of the season. She threw 47 strikes and gave up only three hits while striking out 11 batters. Campbell earned her 100th strikeout of the season early in the game as well.
She also helped herself on offense, going 3 for 3 with three RBI on a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Hawks (20-4) have now won seven games in a row and have outscored their opponents 102-2 in that span.
“I feel like my team has done a great job adjusting to the pitching recently,” Parks said after the game. “The game against Keyser (8-0 win) was probably one of the best overall games we’ve played so far this year. Overall we hit and pitched really well tonight, everyone from the top to the bottom of the lineup has been hitting and getting on base.”
UHS earned 10 hits as a team on Tuesday coming from six different batters. Along with Campbell, shortstop Lauren Huebsch also tallied three RBI and two runs scored with one double on the evening. UHS hit four doubles as a team.
“We’ve been facing different pitching and we’ve worked hard on waiting and adjusting to the pitches we see,” Parks said. “The good thing about this team is that we hit through the lineup. When someone doesn’t hit, another player can step up and get one when we need it.”
The Hawks opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Huebsch singled to left field, scoring Campbell and Olivia Masoner in the process. Huebsch scored on the next play when Sophia Lehosit singled on a hard shot up the middle to give UHS a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Campbell used the early run support to pitch with confidence and shut down the Lady Buccaneers on offense. The freshman, now 13-2 on the season with 107 K’s, says her experience playing with older age groups is where some of her confidence stems from.
“I’ve been playing up in age through travel ball and that helps me stay comfortable most of the time,” Campbell said. “After the Wheeling Park game and throwing well then and having my teammates behind me, my confidence has been really good.”
The defense behind Campbell is something to be trusting in also.
“And she knows that,” Parks said. “We have a very strong defense that can make the play nine out of ten times for us and it helps when she knows that is behind her to support.”
The Hawks scored six more runs in the fourth inning to take a 9-0 lead, and win, in the home finale.
UHS will play Steubenville (Oh.) this evening in an OVAC semifinal in Wheeling.
University 9, Buckhannon-Upshur 0
BU 000 00 – 0 3 1
UHS 300 6X – 9 10 0
University – Campbell 3233, Argabrite 2110, Masoner 2211, Huebsch 3223, Lehosit 2022, Weaver 3000, Park 2110, Barnhart 1100, Royce 1000
2B: Huebsch, Argabrite, Lehosit, Park
HR: Campbell
Buckhannon-Upshur – Abel 2010, Spratt 2000, Hart 2000, Mason 2000, Kimble 2010, Curry 2010, Burnside 1000, Linger 2000, Lantz 1000
WP: Campbell 5.0ip 3h 0r 0b 11k
LP: Kimble 4.0ip 10h 9r 2bb 3k
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