Scottie softball team wins first round of state playoffs

The Southmoreland softball team beat the Central Martinsberg softball team 10-7 on Monday.

Jessica Matheny, freshman, started off pitching, and Lexi Klatt, junior, started off catching. It was a rough start for the Scotties. The Dragons started off strong with three runs in the first inning, but the Scotties weren’t going down without a fight. Charity Henderson, sophomore, hit a single and scored thanks to a hit by Faith Miller, sophomore, which made the score 1-3 at the bottom of the first inning.

In the second inning, the Dragons scored another two runs, making Coach Todd Bunner put Klatt in to pitch and Henderson to catch.

Pitcher is not Klatt’s prime position. She usually spends her time behind the plate, catching. However, she was “not nervous.”

“If anything, I do better under pressure. Jess (Matheny) and I always have each other’s backs. When I’m down, I know she will be there to pick me up and vice versa.”

The Scotties kept fighting in the bottom of the second. Abby Fullem, sophomore, singled, and then Courtney Myers, sophomore, doubled. With runners on second and third, Henderson hit a double, knocking in two runs. The score was now 3-5.

In the third inning, the Dragons did not score, but the Scotties did. Klatt doubled and scored due to Fullem’s grounder to first, making it 4-5.

No more runs were scored until the fifth inning when the Dragons got a run. However, the Scotties were not done. Klatt got on base with a double and ran to third after a throwing error. Then, Matheny got on first with bunt. Emily Eutsey, freshman, had a sacrifice fly, allowing Klatt to score. Then, Fullem singled, and Myers walked. With bases loaded, Maeghan Shetterly, junior, had an RBI single. When Henderson was up to bat, Claycomb threw a wild pitch that got by the catcher. Fullem ran home and dove head first, just getting under the tag. Henderson, then, got on base. Bethany Bunner, senior, had an RBI double. When Shetterly and Henderson attempted to score, they were thrown out at home. Both were injured due to this play. Shetterly was able to continue to play, but Henderson was out with a knee injury. Henderson believes she will be back and “ready to play” by Thursday’s game. At the end of the fifth inning, the score was 8-6.

With Henderson down for the game, Fullem came in to finish catching. The Dragons did not score in the sixth, but the Scotties did. Both Miller and Eutsey singled before Fullem was up to bat with 2 outs. Fullem hit a two RBI double to left field. After the sixth, the Scotties were up 10-6.

In the seventh, the Dragons attempted to fight back, scoring one run. Coach Bunner put Matheny back into pitch, and she shut the Dragons down. The final score of the game was 10-7, Scotties.

Southmoreland will play Hickory at 2 at DuBois City Park in the quarterfinals.

Bethany Bunner, co-captain, believes the team is “ready for anything.”

“I feel like we’ll compete against anyone, and we’re ready for anything they throw at us, no pun intended,” she said.

Klatt, another co-captain, is “excited” for the game.

“We are making history,” she said, “I wouldn’t want to continue my states journey with any other group of girls.”

Shetterly, also co-captain, said, “We have been working towards this, and every single one of us wants to win.”

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