May 9, 2018 3 min read

MONESSEN – Big games often don’t live up to the hype.

However, the softball pitching duel between the WPIAL’s leaders in strikeouts, Belle Vernon’s Bailey Parshall and Monessen’s Dana Vatakis, exceeded expectations.

Parshall and Belle Vernon pulled out a 2-0 nonsection victory in front of the biggest crowd to ever watch a softball game at Monessen.

Parshall (17) and Vatakis (13) combined for 30 strikeouts, gave up a combined four hits with two being bunt singles and neither pitcher gave up an earned run.

Parshall retired the first 18 Monessen batters and a bunt single by Sydney Caterino to lead off the seventh inning broke up a perfect game.

“We made the plays we had to,” said Belle Vernon coach Tom Rodriguez. “Bailey and Dana did their part and we were able to capitalize on some errors.”

Monessen coach Bo Teets said the two pitching aces lived up to their billing.

“Dana and Bailey were as advertised today,” he said. “They were the reason we had such a huge turnout and they delivered.”

Parshall was 0-for-4 against Vatakis with a strikeout. Vatakis was 0-for-3 against Parshall with two strikeouts, only the ninth and 10th strikeouts of her Monessen career.

“Once we got to the game, I didn’t want to overhype it. The hype was getting to me,” said Parshall. “But once I threw the first pitch everything was fine.

“We both wanted to win this and it will help us for the playoffs. I wish Dana and Monessen the best in the playoffs.”

Belle Vernon has clinched a berth in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs. Monessen is postseason bound after sharing the Section 2-A title with West Greene.

“It was fun and interesting to see us go head to head and see what we can do,” Vatakis said. “I wanted us to win, and at the plate I thought too much, but this was a great experience. I wish them luck in the playoffs.”

The Leopards scored an unearned run in the first inning. Jordan French led off the game reaching base on an error, Kourtney Gavatora had a bunt single and Parshall reached on error.

Vatakis struck out the next two batters, but French scored on a two-out single off of the bat of Alex Sokol.

Belle Vernon added its second unearned run in the six inning, but it wasn’t before Parshall struck out the first 14 batters she faced.

In the sixth, the Leopards’ Sophie Godzak had a one-out single. Sokol reached on an error, and after Vatakis recorded the second out with a strikeout, Vanessa Porter singled home Godzak.

After the game, both coaches said facing a pitcher like they did Wednesday will only help their team in the playoffs.

“(Bailey) is a heck of a pitcher and deserves all of the accolades she gets,” Teets said. “There were times that we were outmatched but I thought we battled, and we won’t see a pitcher like Bailey in the playoffs. It is a good tuneup and we will be better because of this.”

“That is the most strikeouts we have had all season and I predicted 30 strikeouts (between the pitchers) before the game,” Rodriguez said. “Facing a pitcher like Dana will help us.”

Both teams await their playoff parings that will be determined today. Monessen has another postseason tuneup today against Southmoreland.