Apr. 4—MORGANTOWN — Two of the top teams in Class AAAA softball also happen to be crosstown rivals, and the sides met for the first time this season on Friday evening as University welcomed Morgantown to Lynch Field at Mylan Park.
The Mohigans never trailed on their way to a 6-3 victory over UHS, thanks to a strong performance in all phases of the game.
Morgantown (8-5) tallied seven hits from six batters in the contest. Senior Liz Alsop led MHS, going 2 for 4 at the plate with a pair of RBI and two runs scored, including a two-run home run (her 100th career hit) in the top of the fourth inning.
Starting pitcher Maddie Wisman threw a complete game for the Mohigans, allowing seven hits with three runs given and six strikeouts.
UHS (7-1) matched the Mohigans with seven hits, led by Liz Elza and Sophia Lehosit with two each.
"We went to Myrtle Beach and played eight games in four days against a lot of solid competition, and it made us a better team, " MHS head coach Lorri Lipscomb said. "We've just had a good mindset as a team recently and have been hitting the ball well. It's about never quitting or giving up and trusting your pitcher and defense."
With Wisman's performance in the circle, the defense behind her, and Friday's offensive success, MHS played a complete game to win its fifth in a row.
"That's what has been coming for this team, " Lipscomb said of the all-around performance by her club. "We went extra innings in three games in Myrtle, and that kind of wore on us but it made us better."
The Hawks went scoreless for the game's first four innings but added three across the fifth and sixth innings.
However, missed opportunities caught up with them as they failed to complete the comeback against MHS.
"We had a slow start at the plate and had a few opportunities that we didn't take advantage of, " UHS head coach Mindy Parks said. "We were making contact but not hitting through the ball. I think this game was a little of a wake-up call for us."
The Mohigans scored runs in four different innings, building a 5-0 lead in the top of the fourth on Alsop's home run.
Wisman and Paige Rhodes added the other pair of RBI for the Mohigans in the top of the first to open an early lead they wouldn't surrender.
UHS got as close as two runs as Lehosit hit a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth that cut the MHS lead to 5-3, but the Hawks didn't add another run for the remainder of the contest.
University will return home on Monday to host John Marshall, while MHS travels to Steubenville on Saturday for a pair of games in the afternoon.
BOX SCORE Morgantown 6, University 3 MHS 201 200 1 — 6 7 3 UHS 000 012 0 — 3 7 2 Morgantown (8-5) — A. Robinson 4010 G. Robinson 2200 Alsop 4222 Wisman 2011 Rhodes 3011 Iquinto 4000 Smith 3110 B. Robinson 4000 Stone 4010 2B: Wisman HR: Alsop University (7-1) — Park 4000 Campbell 4010 Elza 4120 Masoner 2010 Cox 3000 Lehosit 3021 Royce 2010 Stevens 3000 Brown 2001 2B: Elza (W): Wisman 7.0ip 7h 3r 2bb 6k (L): Campbell 2.0ip 3h 3r 2bb 4k
