Dugan does it all in Rockets’ playoff victory
Jefferson-Morgan came into Trinity High School’s softball field with a chance to advance to the WPIAL Class A semifinal. The Rockets left with a smile after a 3-1 win over Sewickley Academy behind the arm of junior pitcher Caitlyn Dugan
Dugan picked up the win for Jefferson-Morgan, allowing one unearned run on just one hit in a complete game. Dugan helped herself on offense, going 2-for-3 with two bunt singles, a stolen base, a run and an RBI.
Because Jeff-Morgan’s offense only scored three runs – 12 fewer than it did in last Tuesday’s 15-1 first-round win over Rochester – head coach Richard Rush felt Dugan carried her team to a win.
“Best game Cait’s ever pitched,” he said. “Our pitcher kept us in the game. I’d hate to say it, but our pitcher won the game. We needed to hit better. We missed some opportunities.”
Dugan agreed with her head coach’s sentiment.
“I would say (it was my best game),” she said. “We’re trying some new things, so it worked out definitely.”
The Rockets drew first blood in the top of the first. Dugan’s first bunt base hit scored Jasmine Demaske. Three batters later, Dugan came around to score on a passed ball to make it 2-0, and two batters after that, Autumn Gustovich did the same to push the lead to three.
Sewickley Academy picked up an unearned run in its half of the fourth on an infield single by Alina Mattson, which scored Alyssa Winters. That would be all the scoring for Sewickley Academy, however, as Dugan allowed just two base runners the rest of the game.
For Sewickley Academy, Alexis Barlock took the loss, allowing three runs on just one hit while also throwing a complete game. Jeff-Morgan got a win despite five errors, one of which led to its only run.
The Rockets will take on the winner of the West Greene-Bishop Canevin game, which was played immediately following at Trinity. Rush is preparing to face the defending champion Pioneers for a third time this season, and is hoping for a much different result, as West Greene beat the Rockets by a combined score of 23-0 in the two regular season matchups.
“We already played them twice. We know what they’re like,” Rush said. “It’s a tall task.”