WEST SUNBURY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — The gas tank on Emma Covert’s car sprung a leak, stranding the Moniteau pitcher before the softball game against Keystone on Thursday afternoon.
Luckily teammate Mariska Shunk was able to give Covert a lift.
Shunk gave the Warrior pitcher another during the game.
Shunk made a diving grab in center field on line drive by Natalie Bowser in the top of the fifth to preserve Covert’s one-hitter, and the Moniteau defense turned two double plays in an 11-1 win over the Panthers.
“Our defense is what carries us, in my opinion,” said Moniteau coach Bob Rottman. “We turned double plays. We made a nice diving grab in center. Our defense was fantastic. We turned three double plays the other day as well.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
The defense got Covert out of several jams.
Despite giving up just one hit, a single by Emilee Dixon, the right-hander had to deal with plenty of baserunners.
Covert was uncharacteristically wild, walking seven and hitting Keystone cleanup hitter Karley Callander twice with pitches.
No matter. Covert hung in there and got big outs when she needed them.
Thanks to some big plays from the defense behind her.
“My job’s pretty easy,” Covert said, smiling. “I just look for the signs (from Rottman) and try to hit the spots. I trust him and if I can hit his spots, I know it will work out. It all comes back to having a great defense behind my back because I can’t tell you how many times I walked two batters and had first and second and had to pitch to the middle of their lineup. I was like, ‘Oh, boy,’ but they turned double plays. It’s a great feeling.”
Covert negotiated the middle of Keystone’s powerful lineup well when it mattered.
Bowser, Callander and No. 5 hitter Leah Exley went a combined 0 for 6 with a run scored.
In the past, Rottman had decided to pitch around or simply put Bowser on base with an intentional walk. Not on Thursday.
“We went right at them,” Rottman said. “Regardless of what the score was, we were going to go after them. If nothing else, we’d learn from it and it worked out today.”
Moniteau’s offense also worked out.
The Warriors collected 12 hits against Bowser and Exley, scoring a run in the bottom of the first and then four in the bottom of the second to take a 5-0 lead.
Moniteau broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the third, keyed by a two-run triple by Covert.
Covert was 2 for 4 with a double, triple and four RBIs.
Autumn Stewart triggered the mercy rule with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth and was 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
The top of the Moniteau order was also stellar.
Shunk went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs scored; Brianna Rottman was also 2 for 3 with three runs scored.
“It’s nice because we have those girls at the top and we have (Ashley) Huffman at the bottom; They know their job is to get on base, whether it’s a bunt, whether it’s a walk, whether it’s a base hit,” Rottman said. “If they can get on base, we have that middle, we have those three, four, five, six, seven, eight who can get them in.”
For Keystone, it was a disappointing game all around, compounded by the fact the Panthers have had little time outside on the dirt this season.
It was just their second game of the season.
“We did not play well,” said Keystone coach John Stiglitz. “We’ll get better. We’ll be better as the season goes on.”
Meanwhile, Moniteau has seen plenty of action.
The Warriors played eight games on March 28-30 during a spring trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The Warriors are 2-0 since coming north with two impressive victories.
“We got some reps down there,” Rottman said. “I figured we’d have a solid defensive team coming back from last year and a solid lineup.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
