Yough prevails in non-section clash with Frazier

By JEREMY SELLEW

jsellew@yourmvi.com

Four players finished with two hits apiece and Savannah Manns finished with two RBIs as Yough picked up a season-opening win over Frazier on Cougar Mountain Friday.

Manns delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning to break open a close game and lead the Cougars to a 6-1 win over the Commodores.

McKenzie Pritts and Kaylyn Odelli each finished with two hits and drove in a run and Maria Lindich and Alli Augustine each drove in a run for Yough (1-0).

“I think the nerves came out a little early, but I’m really pleased with the way we settled in,” Cougars coach Dutch Harvey said. “I think our lineup one through six did a great job of carrying the offense. We just have to work on some things with the freshmen when it comes to pitch selection, but that’s something that’s going to get better.”

The top four hitters for the Cougars – Pritts, Odelli, Manns and Sammie McGhee – combined to go 7 for 12 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Pritts and McGhee each doubled for Yough, as did No. 9 hitter Kaylin Ritenour.

“That’s why Ritenour’s down at the bottom of that lineup,” Harvey said, “We really like her speed down there and she can turn that lineup over back to the top. With her, McKenzie and Kaylyn, those are three girls with really good speed.”

For Frazier, the defending Class 2A state champions, it’s clearly not the same team that hoisted a trophy in 2019. Only two players remain from that team and the youth of the Commodores showed.

“We made silly mistakes on the basepaths and two big errors defensively,” Frazier coach Don Hartman said. “With losing last year, these sophomores are freshmen, so technically we started six freshmen today.”

A bright spot for both coaches was the pitching.

Yough’s Emma Augustine picked up the win tossing a complete game. She struck out nine while scattering six hits and walking only one. The run she allowed was unearned.

“Emma pitched well,” Harvey said. “You can see she was nervous early on. They took advantage of a mistake and got their run early, but both teams I think, settled down as the game went on.”

For Frazier, sophomore Madison Bednar pitched out of a number of jams. She took the loss allowing five earned runs and 10 hits. But she struck out 10.

“She pitched well. Again, it’s her first true varsity start but I think she was able to battle from behind in counts,” Hartman said. “I think defensively, the mistakes and the bad baserunning really let her down a little bit today.”

Frazier (0-1) opened the scoring when Bednar singled in the first and moved to third on an error by Yough second baseman Ritenour. Bednar to third on Rylee Evans’ groundout and scored on a passed ball by Yough catcher Kaylyn Odelli.

Yough answered with an Odelli RBI single after Pritts started off the bottom of the inning with a double over the head of Frazier center fielder Claire Domonkos.

The Cougars scored a run in every inning except the bottom of the sixth.

Pritts added an RBI single in the second and Maria Lindich knocked in McGhee with a sacrifice fly in the third.

Manns’ two-run single broke the game open in the fourth after singles from Ritenour and Odelli.

Emma Augustine reached on a throwing error by Washinski and moved to second with the ball went out of play. Lindich singled to move Marin Sleith, Emma Augustine’s courtesy runner, to third. She scored on Alli Augustine’s RBI groundout.

“We know in our section, we’re going to have to hit and probably score six or seven runs each game,” Harvey said. “So we’re off to a good start. The pitching is so tough in our section, so you’re going to have to score to win.”

Nicole Palmer pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the Commodores.

Offensively, the Commodores were led by sophomore Delaney Warnick, who finished with a pair of hits.

“I’m glad I’m playing these games, teams like Yough,” Hartman said. “We’re not working wins and losses right now. The mistakes we made tonight are correctable. These girls don’t know the ins and outs of our offensive and defensive strategies and you could see their heads were spinning a little bit. We have good ballplayers, they just need some time in the dirt getting experience against good teams.”

The Commodores will host South Allegheny today at 11 a.m. for a doubleheader. The Cougars return to action Monday when they host Canon-McMillan.