MORGANTOWN — It’s been a great start to the 2024 season for the University High School softball team as the Hawks improved to 5-0 on Friday evening with a 2-1 victory over Parkersburg South on Lynch Field at Mylan Park.
UHS had only allowed three runs through the first four games coming into Friday (all three came in the same game) while scoring 43 runs through that same time.
On Friday, the Hawks’ defense was called upon as the offense didn’t produce against the Patriots as it had thus far. UHS only managed two runs on seven hits, but only committed one error on defense and used a game-ending double play to close out in a bases-loaded jam.
UHS sophomore Maddie Campbell threw a complete game, allowing one run on four hits, and earning seven strikeouts.
Three different batters earned multiple hits for the Hawks.
“We made a few mistakes but that’s what small-ball does sometimes,” UHS coach Mindy Parks said. “Our bats were hitting the ball right at the defense and we weren’t finding gaps. They weren’t throwing too many strikes and we weren’t patient enough. But that’s the game of softball and we need to be ready to win in any situation.”
After a quick top half of the first inning by UHS pitcher Maddie Campbell, the Hawks struck early in the game. A two-out single by Campbell was followed by a triple from catcher Olivia Masoner.
Campbell scored and as Masoner ran to third, the throw from the outfield hit her in the helmet and bounced out of play, allowing her to advance home and give the Hawks an early 2-0 lead after the first inning.
Both teams then went hitless until Campbell slapped another single to right field, her second of the night. But the Hawks would come up empty in the frame and South took advantage in the top of the fourth.
Brylee Hatcher doubled for Park South to open the inning and then scored on a two-out single to right field two batters later to halve the lead to 2-1.
Another scoreless few innings led to the top of the seventh with the Hawks still holding onto their one-run lead.
A walk and error on a throw to first saw the Patriots with runners on the corners and no outs in the top half of the seventh.
South’s Ellie McCloy then bunted and reached first base without a throw coming from the infield, loading the bases with no outs and the Hawks leading by just one run.
Campbell earned a big strikeout on the next batter, painting the inside corner on a full-count.
Then on the first pitch of the next at-bat, UHS third baseman Ashlyn Weaver fielded a hard ground ball and threw home to Masoner for the second out of the inning, and preserving the lead. However, the runner on second continued to run to third and Masoner flipped the ball to shortstop Sophia Lehosit who had covered third base for Weaver and applied the tag on the runner to end the game.
“Way to finish the game there,” Parks said. “They’re a good team and were aggressive at the plate. We are super proud of our girls staying focused there at the end to make a heads-up play like that.”
The Hawks are still a younger squad but Parks and her assistant coach Barry Kolar both see the maturity of their team growing game-by-game.
“Baserunning has been big for us this season so far,” Kolar said. “That’s something that goes unnoticed sometimes, and as you saw at the end of this game, baserunning needs to be something you focus hard on. After a win like that, it gives us a lot of confidence also.”
The Hawks will turn right around for two more games this afternoon as they visit Oak Glen for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
BOX SCORE
University 2, Parkersburg South 1
PSHS 000 100 0 – 1 4 2
UHS 200 000 X – 2 7 1
Parkersburg South (4-2) Beatty 4010 Kuhl 3000 Hatcher 3110 Whitehead 2000 Marcum 3000 Lauer 2011 Dellinger 3000 Johnson 2000 Hayes 1000 McCloy 1010
University (5-0) Brown 4000 Weaver 3010 Campbell 3120 Masoner 2121 Lehosit 3000 Jansen 3000 Elza 2000 Royce 3020 Park 3000
2B – PSHS: Hatcher
3B – UHS: Masoner
WP: Campbell 7.0ip, 1r, 4h, 3bb, 7k
LP: Dellinher 6.0ip, 2r, 7h, 2bb, 1k
