MORGANTOWN — University softball coach Mindy Parks managed the game masterfully, but there was no beating John Marshall pitcher Kadence Pettit on Monday.
Parks made all the right moves at all the right times, but Pettit was simply dominant in the circle, throwing a complete-game no-hitter with 10 strikeouts to propel the Monarchs (26-4) to a 2-0 win in game 1 of the Class AAA Region 1 championship series on Lynch Field at Mylan Park.
“It was a stellar performance,” veteran JM coach Ed West said after the victory. “(Pettit) works really hard. I think anybody who works as hard as she does is going to have success. She does a great job of working on her game during the season and the off-season. She just works her butt off.”
Pettit, a senior, did not allow a baserunner until UHS (24-6) catcher Olivia Masoner drew a walk in the bottom of the fourth inning. The next Hawk to reach base was Ally Jansen, drawing another walk in the bottom of the fifth. Those two base-on-balls were the whole of University’s offense against Pettit.
“They just weren’t being patient, they were swinging and turning their head,” Parks said of her hitters. “I don’t think they were taking the right pitch and I think we got a little defeated after they scored. I said ‘hey, we’ve got to score. You can’t keep it 0-0 the whole time.’”
In the circle, Parks countered Pettit with the freshman duo of Maddie Campbell and Sophia Lehosit. Campbell started the game and matched Pettit pitch-for-pitch, throwing three perfect innings. When JM got through their order once, Parks made the switch to bring Lehosit in.
“Just mixing up a little bit and it worked in our favor,” Parks said. “(Campbell) got through the lineup and we switched…I think it was a good plan.”
JM’s first baserunner came against Lehosit when shortstop Ava Blake doubled with two outs in the top of the fourth. With a base open, Parks then called to intentionally walk Pettit, the cleanup hitter, and the next batter harmlessly grounded out to end the threat.
A similar situation unfolded in the top of the sixth inning when nine-hitter Reese Ward walked to lead off the frame. Parks opted to bring Campbell back into the game as JM’s lineup turned over again.
Ward advanced to third base on two groundouts, bringing Blake back up with two outs. With two bases open, Park intentionally walked Blake and Pettit. This time, however, pinch hitter Carlie Keyser sharply hit a groundball that was mishandled at shortstop and Ward scampered home on the error to score the game’s first run.
“We walked those couple of big batters and that totally worked,” Parks said of her decision. “We made a little error and they got a run but still, we have to score. That girl was already on third base and would’ve scored anyway. I don’t think loading up the bases affected that at all.”
JM added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on three straight two-out singles by Ward, Masyn Inclan and Paytyn Tucker, but one run was more than enough for Pettit.
“I thought earlier in the game we were putting the bat on the ball, putting it in play,” West said. “We had some good contact, but they just didn’t fall in for us. Then in the later innings, we got a couple on and put the ball in play.”
Pettit finished with 10 strikeouts in seven innings with just two walks spoiling her stat line.
For UHS, Campbell pitched five total innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Lehosit allowed one run in two innings on one hit and two walks with one punchout.
“I have total confidence in them, the team had confidence in them,” Parks said of the freshmen pitchers. “They did a really nice job, the pitching was phenomenal tonight, it totally worked in our favor.”
The best-of-three regional series now shifts to Glen Dale, where the Monarchs have the chance to lock up a trip to the state tournament with a win at home.
“It’s huge,” West said of winning game one. “For us to go home (Tuesday) and have a one-game advantage, I feel really confident. Our girls seem to play better at home and I expect to come out firing.”
John Marshall 2, University 0
JM 000 001 1 — 2 4 0
UHS 000 000 0 — 0 0 2
JOHN MARSHALL — Inclan 4 0 1 0; Tucker 3 0 1 1; Miller 1 0 0 0; Blake 3 0 1 0; Pettit 1 0 0 0; Thayer 2 0 0 0; Keyser 1 0 0 0; White 3 0 0 0; Yoho 3 0 0 0; Cumberledge 3 0 0 0; Ward 2 2 1 0. Totals 26 2 4 1.
UNIVERSITY — Campbell 3 0 0 0; Argabrite 3 0 0 0; Masoner 2 0 0 0; Huebsch 3 0 0 0; Lehosit 3 0 0 0; Weaver 2 0 0 0; Jansen 1 0 0 0; Royce 2 0 0 0; Park 2 0 0 0. Totals 21 0 0 0.
2B — JM: Blake.
WP: Pettit 7ip, 0r, 0h, 2bb, 10k.
LP: Lehosit 2ip, 1r, 1h, 2bb, 1k.
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