Wheeling Central pulls away from Madonna to win big
Trending
ELM GROVE -- When an already good softball team performs all three phases of the game at a high level, look out. That's exactly what Wheeling Central did Friday afternoon.
The Maroon Knights (3-0) banged out 15 hits -- they now have 45 -- on the season in rolling past visiting Madonna, 15-0, on Ben's Field at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Sports Complex. The game, which was played in a steady drizzle, was halted in the bottom of the fourth when the hosts invoked the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission's mercy-rule.
"We're going to ride this hot streak as long as we can because we know in this sport there are good spells and there are dry spells," Wheeling Central head coach Buck Davidson said. "Olivia (Kiaski) pitched a good game. That's the first time she's been able to pitch and the girls played excellent defense behind her. As long as we keep playing like we are, I think we'll be alright."
The Maroon Knights scored twice in the first and second innings before exploding for seven runs in the third, four of them coming on a grand slam off the bat of the team's lone senior, Brook Edge. She finished with a single, two doubles, the roundtripper and five runs batted in.
Maddie Miehle, who bats No. 2 in the order and ahead of Edge, continued her red-hot start with the bat as she recorded a single and a pair of two-baggers that produced three runs. The No. 4 hitter - Erin Maxwell - had two singles and a triple that accounted for three runs batted in.
The bottom of the order fared well, also. The No. 7 and No. 8 hitters - Layla McCardle and Ava Hanson - each singled twice, with Hanson driving in a run.
"You can't make errors against a team like this," Madonna head coach Jason Backel stressed. "We had too many errors. Our pitcher is out there pitching her heart out. We had a couple of dropped balls in the outfield and you can't give a good team like Wheeling Central extra outs because they will just feast on you and go for the throat. That's what they did.
"We made some errors and got our heads down," he added. "We've got some girls that are injured and didn't play today. We'll see them again in Weirton. Hopefully, we can put on a better showing."
All the while, Olivia Kiaski was doing her job inside the circle. She struck out four, walked tw and scattered two hits. She allowed a leadoff double to Orecchio to start the game. Wright was then safe on a fielder's choice as Orecchio held at second.
Rosa Cody singled to right with one out in the second for the Blue Dons other hit.