Leechburg softball blanks Riverview for 2nd straight shutout

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, April 12, 2018 | 9:00 PM

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Having scored 26 runs through the first three games of the season, the Riverview softball team felt pretty good about itself entering Thursday's contest against WPIAL Class A No. 3-ranked Leechburg.

But, there was only one thing moving faster than the 17 mph wind gusts that criss-crossed the softball field at Oakmont's Riverfront Park: the fastball of Blue Devils pitcher Morgan Pierce.

One day after striking seven batters in a blowout win over Section 3 rival Jeannette, Pierce came back around, with little rest, and delivered another gem for Leechburg. She struck out 11 batters and allowed five hits as the Blue Devils beat section foe Riverview, 8-0.

“Yesterday, (Pierce) had a great pitching performance against Jeannette, so I knew coming into today when she said that she felt even better today, I knew she was going to come and do that,” Leechburg coach Debbie Young said.

The win puts Leechburg (6-1, 5-0) alone atop the Section 3 standings, while Riverview (2-2, 2-2) rests in third place behind St. Joseph.

“They are the section champs, and you got to beat the section champs,” Riverview coach Jim Ashbaugh said. “Morgan (Pierce) is a very good pitcher, and we didn't hit her as well as I was hoping to.”

Through the first two innings, it looked as if those in attendance were going to be treated to a pitchers' duel between Pierce and Riverview starter Carys Kenny-Howell. Kenny-Howell, a Simon Fraser (Vancouver, Canada) commit, kept the Blue Devils sluggers at bay until Grace Reinke homered to deep center field, scoring McKenna Pierce to give Leechburg a 3-0 edge to close out the third inning.

“I think overall, it was our best game yet, and I think the score doesn't show that,” Kenny-Howell said. “I think I threw really well, especially the first couple of times through the order, but I left a couple over the plate.”

Kenny-Howell threw a complete game, finishing with 12 strikeouts, nine hits and six walks.

Both pitchers sat down the side in order in the fourth before the Blue Devils padded their lead in the fifth. Pierce tripled to deep left field to score Olivia Shimer, and Daesha Knight added on with a single down the left-field line to score Pierce from third to extend Leechburg's lead to 5-0.

“Just knowing that (Riverview) is going to be coming after us, we have to bring this energy so we do good,” Pierce said.

The Raiders had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fifth, but with two outs and the bases loaded, Pierce struck out Annie Betler swinging to put an end to Riverview's lone threat of the game. Riverview stranded four runners and Leechburg seven.

“I just throw a fastball, a changeup and that's it,” Pierce said. “I can't do it without (my defense).”

Kenny-Howell started to wear down in the sixth and faced eight Leechburg batters before she could get out of the inning. The Blue Devils tacked on two more runs to bring the score to 7-0. Pierce, again sat down the Raiders in order to get out of the sixth unscathed.

“We were solid defensively,” Young said. “I'm very pleased with them in the field, and we have a lot of young girls out there.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Leechburg, Riverview