Red Riders crush five homers against Huskies
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WEIRTON -- Bombs away!
Rayna Hoover hit two of the Weir softball team's five home runs against Harrison Central, and pitcher Eliza Utt hurled a no-hitter leading Weir to a 9-0 victory in five innings Thursday evening at the Roberta "Birdie" DeFrancis Softball Field.
"I am very pleased with how we have started the season," Weir (4-0) head coach John Leary said. "We have hit the ball Well. Typically you start out a little slow, but the girls all worked hard in the offseason. There are a lot of different things you can do in the offseason now that weren't available in the past, and the girls used the offense to their advantage. Players come into the season more ready than they did in the past. They took advantage of those things. They took advantage of the opportunities they had to help them get ready for the start of the season. They took advantage of their opportunities. They worked hard.
"They came in ready to go. They are putting good swings on the ball. They are patient. Being patient at the plate can be issue. I am really pleased with our at-bats. Every game, one through nine or two through nine, a player or two is not having their best day, but the other girls pick them up. That is nice to see."
The Riders tallied nine hits in the win -- with seven of the nine going for extra bases.
The Huskies came into the game having scored 27 runs in their first two games, however, they were unable to get anything going offensively against Utt and the Red Riders.
"We know Weir could hit the ball, but we were stymied at the plate," Harrison Central (2-1) head coach Darrin Young said. "We hit the ball, but we hit it right at them. It's early. It's still early. They have a nice pitcher. They have a good team, but we did not do our part."
Utt retired the first 14 batters she faced en route to the win for the Red and Black. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Harrison Central's 15 batter of the game -- pitcher Emma Skinner -- reached on a throwing error to give the girls from Harrison Central their first base runner of the game. Unfortunately for the visitors, their courtesy runner was picked off first base ending the game.
Utt collected five strikeouts on the way to her third win of the season.
"Eliza pitched really well," Leary said. "That is her third win of the season. Bella (Weber) pitched well yesterday."
Leary was especially pleased with the fact Utt did not walk a batter.
"She is maturing as a pitcher every game," Leary said. "She pitched really well today. Sometimes, she has lapses in the middle innings, and I have to get on her about continuing to throw hard. The last couple of games she has been consistent. She has been consistent with her velocity and staying in the strike zone.
"She has been staying in the zone and not walking people. Walks are how you give up runs. I despise walks. I would rather the batter hit one off the school than to be walked. She didn't walk anybody today. She made them hit the ball. She did a very good job of being around the plate. She is always around the plate.
"If she continues to pitch like this, we are going to have the opportunity to win a lot of games."
Skinner took the loss for the Huskies. She struck out four and walked two.
The victors hit at least one home run in all four innings they batted.
With one out in the bottom of the first, Hoover homered over the fence in left field to give the hosts an early 1-0 lead. After Kylie Dean was hit by a pitcher, catcher Loganne Barton launched the ball over the fence in centerfield enabling the Red Riders to increase their advantage to 3-0.
Weir's third home run of the day came with one out in the second. This time, Gigi Paladina sent a pitch over the left field fence to extend Weir's advantage to 4-0.
Dean led off the third inning with a solo home run to give the Red Riders a 5-0 advantage.
Weir plated four runs in the fourth to put itself on the verge of ending the game via mercy rule.
Paladina got things started with a base hit, and Brynn Artman walked to put two runners on bases, and the duo scored on a double into the gap by Utt to make it a 7-0 ballgame. Hoover then stepped to the plate, and the senior standout blasted her second home run of the game to give Weir a 9-0 lead.
"I don't know if five home runs in one game is a school record or not," Leary said. "This is the first time since I have been coaching here that we hit five balls over the fence for home runs. I have been here since 2016. At the old field, there wasn't always a fence, so the ball would just roll, but this is the first time since I have been here we have had five balls go over the fence."
Leary, who previously served as the head coach at Brooke, said Thursday was the first time in his head coaching career his team hit five balls over the fence for home runs.
"We didn't have a fence at Brooke," Leary said.
Both teams were scheduled to return to the field Friday.
"It does not get any easier," Young said. "It doesn't help that our best player is not available to play right now. Mikayla (Pelegreen) is in a boot. Not having her, makes it tough on our infield and tough on her pitching. We'll figure it out. We'll figure it out in the next week of two."
Weir 9, Harrison Central 0
Harrison Central 000 00 – 0 0 1
Weir 311 4X – 9 9 1
HARRISON CENTRAL (2-1): Skinner LP (4K, 2BB) and Smith.
WEIR (4-0): Utt WP (5K, 0BB) and Barton. Utt S, D, 2RBI; Hoover 2HR, 3RBI; Dean HR, RBI; Barton S, HR, 2RBI; Paladina S, HR, RBI.