South softball rolls past PHS, 11-0
Parkersburg South's Payten Mackey, left, is congratulated by teammate Shy Hayes after they teamed up with Jaiden Vargas for a 7-6-5 putout against Parkersburg during Tuesday's 11-0 Mountain State Athletic Conference victory at Larry Allen Field. (Photo by Jay W. Bennett)
PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg was in the giving mood here Tuesday evening at Larry Allen Field and Parkersburg South took full advantage en route to earning a five-inning 11-0 Mountain State Athletic Conference victory and a regular season sweep of the Big Reds. “I know they made a few mistakes, but we still got to put the bat on the ball and we hit the ball hard, too,” admitted Patriot skipper Tim Burch, who watched Annie Shelton fire a three-hitter with three walks and 12 strikeouts. “Even when it was hit at people it was hit hard. Even the outs that Brynn Fyre made, great plays at shortstop, we just hit the ball hard.” Frye had a leadoff triple in the bottom of the first, but was left stranded as Shelton punched out Gabby Dennis and Krista Durkin before walking losing pitcher Camella Cooper and coming back to fan JoJo Wilson. Cooper, who worked the first four frames before giving way to Addi Cameron in the fifth, was victimized by eight errors that led to nine unearned runs. Abbie Corbin opened the top of the first with a single and scored the only run the Patriots ended up needing. PHS had three errors in the first as Shy Hays, who went 3-for-4 and scored four times, joined Jaiden Vargas by reaching on a miscue before crossing. Mia Archer had the lone RBI with a single to center. By the time Shelton went back to the circle for the bottom of the second the Patriots had pushed ahead 7-0. After batting around in the first, Corbin started the second by drawing a walk. Shelton reached on an error and runners were momentarily on second and third after a double steal. Hays followed with a run-scoring single that made it 5-0 as Corbin had previously scored from third after a throwing error on the steal attempt. Vargas followed with a one-out double and it was 7-0 after Annalynn Windland delivered a two-out, two-run single. Parkersburg South, which improved to 14-5 and heads Friday to University, sent nine batters to the plate in the fourth and tacked on three more runs. Hays started it with an infield single before Payten Mackey reached on an error and Vargas loaded the bases with a bunt single. Allison Curfman got an RBI on what would’ve been a groundout, but turned into a throwing error. PHS eventually escaped a one-out jam with the bases loaded by allowing just a sacrifice fly to pinch-hitter Addison Moon. “I just told her to get it out of the infield. That’s all we wanted,” Burch said. “She gave it a good ride and the kid in left field (Cameron) made a good play.” Durkin tried for a two-out triple in the third when she hit a shot into left-center, but Vargas’ throw was on point to the shortstop Hays, who fired it to Mackey at third just in time for her to apply the tag. The Big Reds, who slipped to 8-13 and play today at St. Marys, threatened in the fourth after a Cooper leadoff double. Sitting at third with one out following a passed ball, Cameron laid down a bunt as Cooper raced toward the plate. However, Shelton charged the ball and in one motion scooped it up and tossed it to Corbin, who was able to tag out Cooper on a bang-bang play to preserve the shutout. “We practice that glove flip a lot. We practice it in nausea. It was perfect,” added Burch. “The ball was hit right back to her and she could’ve gone to one. The play was right in front of her. “That’s why she went right to there. That was a great play. It was good by her, good by our catcher. Everybody all around.” Hays led off the fifth with her third hit and after a Mackey single, Curfman came through with a run-scoring knock to center to account for the final run. “Like I told them we have to do everything right,” Burch stressed as the postseason draws nearer. “The plays in front of us we have to make. “When I ask you to bunt, you bunt and they bunted well, ran the bases well and moved the runners around. They did overall very, very good.” Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com Parkersburg South 11, Parkersburg 0 (5 inn.) South 340 31 – 11 10 0 PHS 000 00 – 0 3 8 WP: Annie Shelton 5 IP, 3H, 0R, 0ER, 3BB, 12SO LP: Camella Cooper 4IP, 7H, 10R, 1ER, 5BB, 1SO Addi Cameron 1IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 2SO Parkersburg South (14-5) hitting: Abbie Corbin 1-2, 2 R, SB; Shelton R, SB; Shy Hays 3-4, 4 R, SB, RBI; Payten Mackey 1-4 R; Jaiden Vargas 2-3, 3 R, 2B; Allison Curfman 1-3, 2 RBIs; Mia Archer 1-2 RBI; Annalynn Windland 1-2, 2 RBIs; Addison Moon RBI Parkersburg (8-13) hitting: Brynn Frye 1-2, 3B; Krista Durkin 1-2, 2B; Cooper 1-1, 2B Next games: Parkersburg at St. Marys today; Parkersburg South at University on Friday.