Perfect game gives WC win

By Ted Allen

Published: April 14, 2008

NARUNA — In a duel between defending state softball champions, William Campbell came out of its hitting slump and exacted a measure of revenge against Holy Cross with an error-free 3-0 non-district victory Monday at home.
The Generals (5-2), who won their first Group A state title last spring, got a two-hit, 10-strikeout shutout performance from junior pitcher Amber Marstin.
“Amber has stepped up from last season,” senior shortstop Rasheeda Crews said. “She’s grown and gotten stronger. Day after day, she’s getting better and better.”
The victory was payback against the Gaels (6-2), winners of two Virginia Independent Schools Division II titles in past three years, who had shut out William Campbell 1-0 last month at home.
Marstin received all the offensive support she would need when Crews launched a solo home run that barely cleared the left-center-field fence in the fourth off Gaels pitcher Danielle Furniss.
“She’s a great pitcher,” Crews said of Furniss, an E.C. Glass transfer who allowed eight hits, including three in the fourth and three more in a two-run fifth. “I just tried to put the bat on the ball. It’s about time we started hitting. It gives us some hope.”
Crews’ solo shot was the Generals’ second in the past three games, but they had only scored two runs in the previous two — beating Altavista in the top of the seventh inning on a solo home run by ninth batter Heather Littles before suffering a 3-1 Dogwood District defeat to Gretna in 10 innings on Friday.
The two-run rally in the fifth, when Littles led off with a triple and scored along with leadoff batter Lauren Marstin on Brittney Lawhorn’s double to left, was especially encouraging for William Campbell coach Chris Smith.
“We haven’t been hitting the ball really well lately so it was nice to have a breakout inning,” Smith said. “We played a really good offensive game. We got our bunts down and strung some hits together. This was the most complete game we’ve played all year.”
Holy Cross has experienced similar offensive struggles, with its bats slow to warm up in the early-season cold spell, particularly against some hot pitching.
No Gaels baserunner reached second against the Generals.
“Amber pitched a good game and their defense played a great game,” coach Kenny Brown said. “Every time we’d bunt, they’d make the play. (Marstin’s) probably the area’s best pitcher and when she’s on her game and her defense is behind her, that makes it easy.”
Amanda Thacker’s solid single past Crews into center broke up Marstin’s no-hit bid in the fifth before ninth batter Layney Sandifer blooped a single over third baseman Skylar Seals in the sixth. But William Campbell second baseman Holly Elder cut that rally short when she stabbed a shot hit up the middle by Sam Thacker for the forceout at second before Thacker was thrown out trying to steal second.
“We tried to force the issue to put a runner in scoring position, but they executed, did the things they had to do,” Brown said after Holy Cross went down 1-2-3 in the seventh. “They made the plays. They played a really good game (and) we didn’t have enough hits today to give ourselves a chance.”