Homer-happy McGuffey on track for section title
McGuffey’s Moriah McGuier pitches Wednesday against Carmichaels at McGuffey Community Park.
Carmichaels’ Kaitly Wilson attempts to tag out McGuffey’s Moriah McGuire Wednesday.
McGuffey’s Meghan Shultz rounds second base after hitting a two-run homer Wednesday against Carmichaels.
CLAYSVILLE – Meghan Shultz quickly recalled that sunny May afternoon last year when Carmichaels built an early lead over McGuffey and took advantage of the Highlanders’ fielding mistakes late to clinch at least a share of its ninth consecutive section title.
Shultz, now a senior center fielder, and McGuffey saw a chance to move into first place evaporate then and time didn’t heal the wound of seeing a possible section title slip away one week before the WPIAL playoffs. Using the Mikes’ formula Wednesday did the trick.
Now, it’s McGuffey that is moving closer to a section championship.
The Highlanders hit three home runs, including Shultz’s two-run blast in the first inning, to defeat Carmichaels 9-3 in a Section 2-AA game at McGuffey Community Park.
“This feels a lot better,” Shultz said with a grin. “We are more confident this year. We’re on a winning streak, hitting good, fielding good. It felt really good to get back at them.”
McGuffey (6-0, 8-0), which is one of only two unbeaten Class AA teams in the WPIAL, gave senior pitcher Moriah McGuier all the run support she needed and it started in the first inning.
The Mikes dropped a fly ball in foul territory on the first pitch of the game and freshman shortstop Brin Hunter reached safely on an error two pitches later. Shultz drilled the next pitch over the auxillary fence in right-center field for the 2-0 lead.
The Highlanders added two more runs in the third inning on RBI singles by senior catcher Carae Wagner and freshman second baseman Ella Brookman. They added two more in the fourth when McGuier, who went 3-for-3, drove in Hunter with a sacrifice fly and Shultz scored on a throwing error for the 6-0 lead.
Carmichaels (5-3, 6-6), which replaced three of the four top hitters from its order last season and is starting three freshmen, committed three errors. Though first-year starting pitcher Laura Walker allowed 14 hits, she didn’t issue a walk and struck out two.
The Mikes did not have a hit until the top of the fourth inning – a book-rule double by Natalie McNett – and only had four hits against McGuier, who struck out six and walked one.
Carmichaels’ runs came in the sixth inning when Laura Walker reached on an error with two outs. McNett, who went 2-for-3, singled to center and Emma Lowry reached on a throwing error, allowing Walker to score. Gina Ranieri added a two-run single to cut the deficit to 8-3.
“We didn’t come to play,” Carmichaels head coach Dave Briggs said. “We knew we had to outhit them to win or hit with them. We hit with them the first game, but today we didn’t. At the plate, we didn’t do the job and again, we gave some extra outs. When you do that, you’re going to be in trouble.”
McGuffey didn’t need any help to get insurance runs. Hunter hit a two-run homer over the fence in center field in the fifth inning and McGuier led off the sixth with a homer.
The Highlanders’ top four hitters in the lineup went a combined 11-for-13 with seven RBI and eight runs. It was Shultz, who has seven hits in the last three games with eight runs, who sparked McGuffey’s fast start and has the Highlanders’ offense among the best in WPIAL Class AA.
“Brin sets the tone and it seems when one girl struggles, the other picks her up,” McGuffey head coach Jason Kern said. “Meghan is hammering the ball right now. She’s another one of those senior leaders that’s finding their groove right now.”
The win wasn’t flawless. Like its first victory over Carmichaels this season, McGuffey allowed the Mikes to score a few late runs – these coming on errors and three hits in the final two innings – but McGuier kept the Mikes off balance and the Highlanders’ offense played target practice with the 180-foot fencing.
A strong senior class, plus a well-rounded roster, have made McGuffey the team to beat in Section 2-AA – a fact Kern reminds his players of before every game.
“We stress to the girls that every team is coming out to be the one to knock you off, so we preach let’s get up early on them and a lot of times, teams will start to sit back a little bit because they get the wow factor that, ‘They’re pretty good and they’re better than we thought,'” Kern said. “Carmichaels isn’t one of those, so we stressed play until the last out.”