Leopards don’t let late arrival affect winning finish
Belle Vernon pitcher Bailey Parshall throws Thursday against Trinity.
Belle Vernon head coach Tom Rodriguez watches his Leopards face off Thursday against Trinity.
Belle Vernons Lexie Church is unable to beat the throw Thursday to Trinity first baseman Delaney Elling.
Belle Vernon’s Brook Farmer slides into Trinity catcher Payton Barr Thursday.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter Belle Vernons Bailey Parshall, during the game against Trinity at Trinity Middle School on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
The doors of the school bus flung open and Belle Vernon’s players – running 15 minutes late for a key Section 3-AAA game – raced to the turf at Trinity’s Hiller Field.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Bailey Parshall likes to have 30 minutes to warm up, but had only 20, and most players weren’t able to get practice swings off a tee before the game.
Though the late start might have affected Parshall, the Leopards’ offense got off to a fast start and their pitcher – with the help of some solid defense – took care of the rest.
Belle Vernon gave its pitcher help early with a four-run first inning and Parshall worked out of trouble in a 5-2 victory over Trinity Thursday, helping the Leopards build a 1 ½ game lead over the Hillers with three section games remaining.
“Getting the four in the first was big,” Belle Vernon head coach Tom Rodriguez said. “I told the kids that if Trinity won today, we’d have to win our last three games if they won the next two. It was big and it puts them at a big disadvantage. Losing would make things tough after being in the championship last year.”
Having one of the WPIAL’s top pitchers firing strikes is a luxury for Belle Vernon – one that the program has desperately needed in 2016.
Though Parshall leads the WPIAL in strikeouts and has tossed seven shutouts, the offense has disappeared at times. Even crafty pitchers have given the Leopards issues.
The problems had them holding onto the third and final playoff spot in Section 3-AAA, but a loss at Trinity Thursday would put Belle Vernon on the outside looking in.
The Leopards’ offense ensured that wouldn’t happen.
Belle Vernon (6-3, 12-5), which has lost four 1-0 games this season, made sure to give Parshall the early lead. Junior left fielder Megan Christner drew a leadoff walk and junior center fielder Lexie Church, who went 3-for-4, reached on an infield single.
Parshall, a Penn State recruit, sprayed a ball to left field to drive in Christner for the 1-0 lead. Two pitches later, sophomore shortstop Kourtney Gavatorta delivered a two-run single. Gavatorta scored two batters later when Katelin Legazza grounded out to first for the 4-0 lead.
The Leopards added another run in the second inning on an RBI single by Church.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t start out the way we wanted to by giving up four runs in the first inning,” Trinity head coach Shawn Gray said. “That’s a tough thing to come back from. We didn’t hit like we did last time we played them and we didn’t execute the way we wanted to, so it didn’t fall our way.”
Parshall, who had 10 strikeouts and five walks, had a successful game. The lack of a pregame bullpen session led to back-to-back walks in the bottom of the first inning, but she quickly responded with three consecutive strikeouts to end the threat.
She allowed two two-out singles in the third inning, including a line drive to center by Trinity first baseman Delaney Elling, a Penn State recruit who scored on a RBI single by Santana King. Elling was 1-for-1 with three walks.
Parshall quickly recovered with a strikeout to end the inning. The Hillers had two runners in scoring position with two outs in the fifth, but Parshall got a groundout to first. Trinity catcher Kim Dunst delivered a one-out RBI double in the sixth inning to make it 5-2, but the Hillers grounded out twice. Addison Barr took the loss for Trinity, despite allowing only two hits over the final four innings.
“We have to hit more,” Rodriguez said. “I think Bailey will keep us in games. If we get three or four runs, we’re in good shape. Knowing you only have to score two or three is nice.”
That’s why Rodriguez had his players focus on making contact leading up to their game against Trinity. Tee work and fundamentals led to a fast start, despite arriving late.
“We have to get in the playoffs,” Gavatorta said. “We knew if we got a win over them, we’d be closer to being in it. Now, it’s off to the next.”