Jaguars shut out Connellsville, 5-0

By Jeremy tepper

MVI Sports

With the regular season nearing its completion next week and the playoffs beckoning, Heidi Karcher’s message to her team is clear.

“I said to them that in the next five, six days basically our seeding and our season is going to be determined,” said Karcher, Thomas Jefferson’s softball coach. “There is no time to relax.”

On Thursday, that message seemed to be received well as the Jaguars took down a section foe, beating Connellsville, 5-0, in Section 2-5A play. 

It was the first time Thomas Jefferson (6-3, 4-2) had played a game in eight days. When the team last played, it beat Connellsville, 7-1. Still, the Jaguars came out sharp and motivated.

“There was probably a little rust in the beginning, but everybody had such high energy because we hadn’t played in like two weeks and we were ready to get back and start playing again,” said Jaguars pitcher Alyssa McCormick.

McCormick led the way for Thomas Jefferson, pitching seven scoreless innings. She struck out eight batters and allowed just three hits. She also helped herself out at the plate, collecting two hits and driving in three runs.

“My curveball was on point today. Same with my screwballs,” McCormick said. “I was working high and low in the zone just to keep the batters off balance.”

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