GLEN DALE – Monday’s Class AAA Region I championship series between University High and John Marshall opened with a pitcher’s duel that over three hours later turned into an instant classic.
Senior pitcher Autumn Stemple fanned 20, including the final eight batters she faced, and freshman pinch-hitter Paige Conrad reached on a lead-off bunt single in the top of the ninth and scored what turned out to be the game-winning run on Anna Argabrite’s RBI fielder’s choice, as the Hawks claimed a prized 4-3 victory over the Monarchs in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.
“This is all about her,” University Coach Mindy Parks said of Stemple. “This is her time, we believe in her and we believe she is going to make history.”
While Game 2 is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday at Mylan Park in Morgantown, it will be hard to top the events from Monday.
John Marshall (19-8) suffered the hard-luck loss, while pitcher Kadence Pettit was every bit as impressive as Stemple, striking out 18 University hitters while walking four and scattering five hits.
The two pitchers combined to throw nearly 300 pitches in the contest, which also featured a 30-minute lightning delay in the fourth inning.
The Hawks got the early lead, pushing across two runs in the top of the first without the benefit of a hit.
Argabrite and Meysa Heitman each walked on close 3-2 pitches to get things started before moving up on a fielder’s choice. Lauren Huebsch then reached on a error that allowed both runners to cross the plate for the early advantage.
Pettit then retired the next eight batters before the Monarchs got the offense rolling in the home-half of the third. Megan Dougherty reached on a lead-off walk and went to second on Emily Bailey’s bunt single.
Following an out, Shelby Koontz was hit by a pitch bringing up power-hitting Ava Blake with the bases loaded and just one out. Blake drilled a 1-1 pitch deep to center field that bounced off the top of the fence, but fell back into play for a two-run double knotting the count.
Adrianna Skrzyneki then reached on an error to once again load the bases, however, Stemple set the next two hitters down on strikes to end the threat and keep the score at 2-2.
Huebsch walked to begin the fourth for the visitors, and after stealing second quickly became the third Hawks’ player to walk and come around to score when Stemple laced a shot back through-the-box for University’s first hit of the game, making it a 3-2 margin. The hosts evened the count again in the fifth when Koontz beat out a bunt and Blake reached on an error with Koontz coming all the way around to score.
Unfortunately for John Marshall, the Monarchs left the bases loaded in the third, a runner on third in the fifth and had a runner at third with no one out in the sixth and failed to score. The Monarchs tried to get the run home with a bunt and eventually had the runner thrown out in a rundown. It was the final time the hosts threatened, as Stemple set down nine of the final 10 on strikes.
University had its chances as well, leaving runners at third in both the seventh and eighth frames before getting the winning rally going in the ninth.
Conrad’s bunt on the first pitch she saw headed foul before coming back onto the line before it could be grabbed for a base hit. Kelsey Park, the No. 9 hitter, then reached on an error and a wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third with just one out. Argabrite’s grounder to second was thrown to the plate with Conrad beating the relay to give the Hawks a 4-3 lead. Pettit got out of the jam from there, but the Monarchs went in order in the ninth.
The two biggest base runners of the ninth came out of the No. 7 and 9 spots in the order. Before the final inning the last three spots in the order were a combined 0-8, all set down on strikeouts.
“We struggled at the plate and their pitcher did a good job after she got settled in,” Parks admitted. “But the two runs we got in the first inning without a hit really gave us some confidence. We made some mistakes in the field (Monday) that we usually don’t make, but our freshman got the final inning started with the pinch-hit bunt and we were able to get her home.
“(Tuesday) we are going to make history and our senior pitcher is going to be the one to take us there.”
Veteran John Marshall Coach Ed West knows that his team lost by mere inches Monday, but also is well aware that the Monarchs aren’t done yet.
“That was a hard-fought game, but there is not a doubt in my mind that this team will bounce back (Tuesday) and we will have another chance at them here,” West said. “I made a couple of bad decisions that cost us. There is no question we should have scored a run in the sixth inning with a runner on third, no one out and we got down two bunts. But that was my fault.
“I feel really bad about that. There were also a couple of plays that were just inches away from going our way including Blake’s hit off the top of the fence and that last bunt they reached on. We left a lot of runners out there, but that is something we have been battling all season long. The pitchers were excellent in this game, and we are looking forward to getting back at it (Tuesday).”
A University victory Tuesday in Morgantown would send the Hawks to the state tournament for the first time since 1994, while a John Marshall win means a decisive Game 3 on Wednesday back at John Marshall High School.
— Story by Tracy Watson, For The Intelligencer
