Photos by Steven Wright | Greene County News
A Miamisburg runner slides into home safely ahead of the tag attempt by Beavercreek sophomore Viera Barrett (left) after gathering a wild pitch thrown by junior Haley Ferguson (right).
Beavercreek sophomore Olivia Blackmore throws a base hit by Miamisburg back toward the infield from right field.
Awaiting the throw to try and apply a tag on a steal attempt from shortstop is Beavercreek junior Kate Schell (left) and sophomore Selena Knight (middle) backs her up.
BEAVERCREEK — Two of the top pitchers in the GWOC squared off Monday in Beavercreek. One was un-hittable.
Beavercreek couldn’t get a hard hit ball in play while balls coming off Miamisburg bats found every hole available as the Vikings remained unbeaten in league play with a 10-0 road win.
The GWOC’s two leading pitchers in ERA got the start. Ryla Zehring’s 1.21 mark coming in was improved as she only walked two Beavercreek (9-6, 4-3) hitters and mostly only had pop ups and softly hit grounders put in play against her.
Miamisburg (14-2, 8-0) continued to be the thorn in Ferguson’s otherwise excellent resume, however, after coming in as the league leader with a 1.17 ERA and 118 strikeouts.
Ferguson was roughed up for eight runs on 10 hits with just three K’s in her four innings. It was the most hits she has allowed in a game during her three-year career. Miamisburg is also the only team to have scored at least seven runs against her and has done so in three of the five meetings.
Miamisburg, ranked No. 9 in the latest Division I state coaches poll, got on the board in the first with three straight singles to lead 2-0. Another runner scored in the second involving a sequence which started with a dropped third strike, leading to a steal of second and two wild pitch advancements.
The first four reached against Beavercreek in the fourth to start a five-run inning without the need of an extra base hit.
Beavercreek heads to face the league’s other unbeaten team, Springboro, on Tuesday before getting a rematch with Miamisburg on Wednesday.
Contact Steven Wright at 937-502-4498 and follow on Twitter @Steven_Wright_.
