MORGANTOWN — The University High softball team made a major statement Wednesday. It simply was the Hawks are ready to defend their state crown following a dominating 14-0 win over Bridgeport inside Mylan Park.
However, while UHS head coach Mindy Parks admitted that her team is poised for a strong season – as evidenced by their clean defensive slate, shutout pitching, and a 15-hit attack against the Indians – there’s plenty of work to be done.
“We’re 100% in ‘Let’s do it again’ mode, for sure,” she smiled after the victory. “But it’s not a pressured situation at all. We are humble, and we know we’ll have to work for it and earn our way into the state tournament. So, we are trying to get the girls to concentrate and stay focused on every pitch, every play, and every game, while still having fun and coming together as a team. That’s the goal.”
Having lost just three players from last year’s team, the Hawks nevertheless remain a young team, with just one senior (Kelsey Park) and 5 juniors among the returners.
“I like to think that all six of them have stepped up to become our leaders,” Parks explained. “It would be a lot for just one senior to handle, and so all of them are helping us grow as a team. All 17 players got into today’s game, and that’s a big deal for us, because we are trying to grow the program as well as being as successful as we can be this season. The girls know that we will need everyone on the roster to win games this year, and to win games for the next few years. They’re all so coachable, and so great to work with, and that’s part of our success as well.”
Team speed will once again be a feature of the Hawks’ offensive attack, and the coaching staff is emphasizing situational hitting, patience, and softball intelligence – all complemented by the strong 1-2 pitching punch of Sophia Lehosit and Maddie Campbell.
“I have so many options now,” Parks grinned. “We are an athletic and very quick team, and they’ve really grown in their knowledge of the game. We can play small ball and score, or we can swing the bats and hit for power (Olivia Masoner rapped a pair of doubles, Park had one, and both Campbell and Bri Royce ripped RBI triples), and now that we are challenging our hitters to think about situational hitting much more often, I think it will enable us to be even more effective offensively.
“We are solid on defense, especially with our catchers and pitchers,” she continued. “Sophia and Maddie are so similar, and yet so different in the circle. They both are strikeout pitchers, but both can produce weak contact. And they seem to feel comfortable in different roles. Sophia likes to start, and Maddie likes to finish, so they really fit together well for us.”
Parks knows the journey that just began so auspiciously is a long one, so she’s getting her Hawks geared up for the challenge that comes with a champion’s target on their backs.
“I call it a short, long season,” she said. “We only play a few months, and it’s over before you know it, but we will pack a lot of games into every week. We will try to stay focused and keep playing at a high level no matter the competition. If we can do that, and raise our energy, emotion, and enthusiasm levels, I like our team and I like our chances. Championships never come easy, and we know it takes teamwork and a team working hard, and we’re ready to go for it.”
Box score
BRIDGEPORT (0-1)
Kyleigh Anderson ss 3 0 0 0 Sadie Hamrick 1b 2 0 1 0 Kennedy Wolfe cf 2 0 1 0 Madilyn Fittro dp 2 0 0 0 Addison Veigel lf 2 0 0 0 Mia Gibson c 2 0 0 0 Gracia Knight 3b 1 0 0 0 Renzy Pethtel 2b-p 1 0 0 0 Avery Humble rf 2 0 0 0 Addison Mike p-2b 0 0 0 0. Totals 17 0 2 0.
UNIVERSITY (1-0)
Lexi Elza lf 2 1 0 0 Kelsey Park 2b 2 1 1 1 Maddie Campbell ss 3 2 2 2 Olivia Masoner c-1b 3 1 2 2 Whitney Cox 3b 2 1 1 1 Sophia Lehosit p 1 1 0 0 Bri Royce rf 2 2 2 2 Emma Stevens 1b-c 1 1 1 1 Adalyn Brown cf 1 1 1 0 Olivia Stickle ph-lf 2 2 2 1 Maddie Shaver ph 1 1 1 2 Maddie Walls ph 1 0 1 0 Kylin Oliveto ph 1 0 0 0 Abby Hulvey ph 1 0 0 0 Allena Blon ph 1 0 0 0 Shyanne Mayle ph 1 0 0 0 Tegan Haney 2 0 1 0. Totals 27 14 15 12.
2B: UHS 3 (Masoner 2, Park). 3B: UHS 2 (Campbell, Royce).
Pitching
Bridgeport – Mike (L) 3 ip 13 r 12 er 12 h 1 bb 1 so, Pethtel 1 ip 1 r 1 er 2 h 2 bb 0 so. UHS – Lehosit (W) 3 ip 0 r 0 er 2 h 1 bb 8 so, Haney 2 ip 0 r 0 er 1 bb 5 so.
