Apr 13, 2017 3 min read

HERMINIE – Belle Vernon’s softball team went to Yough Thursday undefeated and as the top-ranked team in Class AAAA.

Thanks to an impressive performance by Yough pitcher Kierra Waywood, the Cougars handed Belle Vernon its first loss of the season, 2-0, in a Section 2 contest.

Belle Vernon pitching ace Bailey Parshall, a Penn State commit, struck out 12 batters and was her normal dominant self, but she received no run support.

“They capitalized (on errors) and that is what you have to do to win,” said Belle Vernon coach Tom Rodriguez. “Bailey was Bailey, but we have to hit better.”

Waywood, a sophomore, struck out 11 and limited Belle Vernon’s top five hitters to a combined 1-for-15 at the plate as the Leopards fell to 4-1 in the section and 8-1 overall.

“The top of the order struggled and I told them before that this would be the best pitcher they will have seen so far,” Rodriguez said. “The top of our order is hitting close to .500 but I give (Waywood) credit as she was really good.

The bottom four hitters in the Leopards’ lineup was 3-for-11.

“The bottom of our order was good,” Rodriguez said.

None of the five Belle Vernon baserunners reached second base.

The game was scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning. After Parshall struck out Nina Maroney to start the inning, Aubrie Mance hit the ball to third base but the Leopards’ Alex Sokol threw the ball out of play at first base and Mance advanced to second.

Parshall struck out Alona Sleith but catcher Hanna Legazza misplayed the pitch, allowing Sleith to advance to first and Mance to third.

Olivia Miller singled home Mance to give Yough a 1-0 lead.

Parshall struck out two more batters, giving her the rare four-strikeout inning.

Yough added an insurance run in the sixth.

Waywood singled to start the inning and stole second base. Hannah Bach followed with a dribbler down the first-base line and it was fielded by Kaitlyn Carr who turned and threw the ball toward first. Second baseman Megan Christner recorded the out but Bach and Christner collided and both girls ended up on the ground.

Waywood rounded third base on the throw, and when she saw the collision at first base she scored to give the Cougars (5-0, 7-1) a 2-0 lead.

“When you get a loss like this, maybe it will make the girls work a little harder,” he said.