MHS takes down Steubenville to reach OVAC finals, UHS upset by Parkersburg South
WHEELING — The Morgantown High softball team will have the chance to defend their OVAC 5A championship after a 9-3 upset victory over top-seeded Steubenville on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, defending state champion University High suffered a loss in the semifinal, 5-1, against Parkersburg South.
MHS will battle the Patriots at 5 p.m. Friday for the championship.
The Hawks only managed four hits to go along with as many errors against Parkersburg South. Patriots starting pitcher Anniston Shelton threw seven innings and struck out 13 batters without surrendering a walk. Seven Parkersburg South batters earned a hit in the contest.
UHS starter Maddie Campbell also went the length of the game, allowing nine hits and five runs (two earned), with only one walk and 10 strikeouts.
Liz Alsop was the prime suspect in Morgantown's productive night on offense, tallying six RBI and walloping two home runs and a double to do it.
On the mound, Maddie Wisman pitched a complete outing for the Mohigans, striking out seven.
Kira Smith also drove a home run, a solo shot in the fourth inning.
Alsop's three-run blast broke open what had been a scoreless game with one out in the third inning. Morgantown scored five more in the fourth inning thanks to Alsop and Smith.
'Bats came alive tonight, pitching was great by Maddie Wisman,' Morgantown head coach Lorri Lipscomb said. 'Even though we had some defensive miscues, they picked each other up and came back strong. That's the key.'
'They're better than us,' Steubenville head coach Gus DiMarzio said. 'They pitched better than us, they fielded better than us, they hit better than us.'
Each team tacked on one run apiece in the final frame, a sac fly from Steubenville's Riley Zorne serving to cut into the Mohigans lead, but Morgantown would retire the following batter to advance to the 5A final, at the JB Chambers Sports Complex.
'We're excited we're back to defend the OVAC championship, we want to make it two in a row.'
Sophia Zorne and Riley Zorne each finished with an RBI for Steubenville.
Morgantown won last year's OVAC championship 4-3 against John Marshall. The Mohigans entered that game as the four-seed in the tournament bracket as well.
— Story By Nick Henthorn
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