Mt. Pleasant softball team defeats Southmoreland for 4th straight win

By: Jason Black
Monday, May 2, 2022 | 7:36 PM

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It took a little while, but the Mt. Pleasant softball team finally appears to be rounding into form. After starting the season at 3-7, the Vikings have rattled off four straight wins, with their most recent triumph being their most impressive.

On Monday afternoon, the Vikings got great pitching, some big hits and were able to play some small ball on their way to a 6-2 win over host Southmoreland in a Section 3-3A showdown between neighboring rivals. The win clinches a playoff spot for Mt. Pleasant (7-7, 5-4). Southmoreland (8-3, 6-3) clinched a spot last week.

Mt. Pleasant pitcher Sophia Smithnosky tossed a four-hitter that included six strikeouts.

“Sophia has really come into her own,” Mt. Pleasant coach Chris Brunson said. “She is competing, and she is ready to go.”

Chris Brunson also pointed to defensive tweaks that have seemed to help the Vikings get back on course.

“Our defense is shored up, and we are executing,” Brunson said. “Today we beat a good team.”

While Chris Brunson was happy with his team’s performance, the same can’t be said for Southmoreland coach Todd Bunner. The Scotties committed three costly errors, and their four hits weren’t nearly enough to rally.

“We didn’t get the big hits when we needed them,” Bunner said. “We weren’t sharp at all. Everybody has to show up and play a good team like that, and not everybody showed up.”

The Vikings grabbed the lead in the first inning and never let go. Abby Swank singled and scored on an RBI single by Ally Jones off Southmoreland starter Maddie Brown.

Then in the third, Mt. Pleasant extended its lead to 3-0 when Smithnosky singled before Jones struck again. This time, Jones belted a two-run homer to deep right-center.

“Ally had a big home run, and it loosened us up playing with a three-run lead,” Brunson said.

But the Scotties didn’t let the Vikings stay too loose for too long. In their half of the third, the Scotties scored twice. Bea Pawlikowsky was hit by a pitch before Amarah McCutcheon singled in the run. McCutcheon later scored on an RBI single by Makayla Etling.

The game stayed a one-run affair until the sixth. That’s when the Vikings broke it open with three more runs. Krista Brunson started the inning with a bunt single before Emma Scanlon beat out an infield hit. Addison Reese and Ella Alakson each reached on infield errors as Mt. Pleasant took a 5-2 lead. Katie Hutter then finished off the inning with an RBI on a fielder’s choice.

Southmoreland was held to one hit in the final four innings, although three runners reached base on walks during that stretch.

“We can learn from it,” Bunner said. “We can’t rest on our laurels from last game (12-0 win over Waynesburg on Friday). “We fell asleep, and I could tell right from the beginning that we weren’t ready. We were lazy when we were warming up. You can’t play a good team like that and be off your game. We deserved to lose.”

Mt. Pleasant will look to make it five in a row when it visits section-leading South Allegheny on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, Southmoreland will try to get back on track at McGuffey.

Tags: Mt. Pleasant, Southmoreland