Offensse supports Murphy's two-hitter in P-O win

By Walt Moody

PHILIPSBURG — If an opponent gives Philipsburg-Osceola softball pitcher Brittany Murphy a couple of early runs to work with, that foe is in trouble.

Give her a couple more and the outcome is looking bleak.

Murphy, the Lady Mounties’ ace, proved that once again Thursday. After her teammates put four runs up in their first two at-bats, Murphy cruised to a two-hit shutout as P-O avenged an early-season loss to Mount Union with a 5-0 triumph.

Murphy (7-3) allowed leadoff singles in the first and fifth innings. She struck out 10 and did not walk a batter as she avenged a 2-0 loss against the Trojans (9-3).

“You’re only going to score a couple of runs against Murphy,” Mount Union coach Matt Fiscus said. “You have to know that coming in. Giving up five runs is giving her way more than what she needs.”

Mount Union’s only real scoring threat came in the first inning. Martina Kurtz led off with a single, was sacrificed to second and moved to third on a groundout. Murphy stranded Kurtz by striking out Shanee Hockenberry.

The Lady Mounties (8-3) got two runs in the bottom of the inning. Kelsey Gonder led off with a single and Chasity Myers walked. After Mackenzie Gonder’s fielder’s choice forced out Myers at second, Taylor Harpster ripped a Hockenberry’s first pitch for a single to left to plate Kelsey Gonder.

A force out and a walk loaded the bases for Lauren Stout. P-O coach Jim Gonder called time and asked Stout to square for a bunt, even though the bases were loaded with two outs. The ploy worked as Hockenberry threw a wild pitch in the dirt allowing Mackenzie Gonder to score. It almost worked again, but catcher Atherton’s tag barely beat courtesy runner Alexis Cartwright to the plate after another pitch got away.

“I just said, ‘Show a bunt and see if she can throw a strike on you,’” said Gonder, who noticed Hockenberry had trouble finding the strike zone when Myers was attempting a bunt earlier. “I didn’t know whether it was bothering her if the girl was squaring or not. I just thought we’d try it. (Lauren) was taking a strike anyway. We got a break there. We almost got two.”

The Lady Mounties got a break in their next at-bat. Stout walked leading off the second inning and was sacrificed to second base. Lyndz Kephart then grounded the ball to Mount Union first baseman Marsha Melnyk, who was playing a little over halfway between home and first. Melnyk attempted to tag out Kephart, but lost control of the ball while applying the tag.

The play put runners at first and third and Kephart then stole second base. After a pop out, the left-handed Myers lined a 3-2 pitch into left-center to plate both baserunners.

“It’s always nice to get runs early in the game,” Murphy said. “It’s easier to pitch and makes you more comfortable out there.”

Despite less than ideal field conditions and chilly, misty weather, Murphy remained comfortable in the circle. “It wasn’t really that cold today,” the junior right-hander said. “It wasn’t too bad. It was more the mud. It was slippery out there.”

Nicole Bumbarger added a RBI single in the sixth to complete the P-O scoring. Bumbarger, the Lady Mounties’ center fielder, also had a nice sliding catch in the sixth inning.

Murphy said the triumph showed improvement from the earlier loss to the Trojans.

“It was pretty important to show that we’re working hard,” she said. “It doesn’t matter that we have a young team. We’re still going to beat people.”

Mount Union suffered its second shutout loss this week.

“We just haven’t been hitting the last three games and until we can take practice on the field we’re going to lose ballgames,” Fiscus said. “We just aren’t hitting like we have in the past.”