PETERSBURG, W.Va. — Allegany pushed across five runs in the first inning, and with Abi Britton in the circle, that spelled doom for Petersburg.
The Penn State signee came into Tuesday having allowed just two runs in 35 innings this year, and she made it two in 40 frames with another scintillating gem.
Behind a fast start and a dominating 15-strikeout, one-hit shutout by Britton, No. 1 Allegany defeated No. 2 Petersburg, 8-0, in five innings at Michael Brothers Memorial Park.
“That’s a good team. They’re solid,” Allegany head coach Dave Winner said. “We came out the first two innings and set the tone. Then we went a little bit cold. … If you give Abi five runs it’s going to be tough. She dominates.”
Both teams were red-hot coming in. Allegany entered unbeaten at 7-0, and Petersburg (14-5) were winners in 8 of 9 games.
However, for the third year in a row, the Campers scored five runs in the first inning against the Vikings. Allegany won the matchup 10-0 last year and 20-1 in 2022.
Jordyn Sneathen led the way for Alco with three hits in three at-bats, including a two-run triple in the second inning, and three RBIs. Kylie Hook was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Sky Porter scored twice, and Lexi Johnston had an RBI in the second on a safety squeeze.
The Campers tacked on three more runs in the second frame to lead 8-0, and Petersburg didn’t have a base-runner until the fourth inning when Cheyenne Sites reached on a one-out infield single.
Britton retired the first 10 batters by strikeout, meaning Sites’ chopper was the Vikings’ first ball in play.
Britton threw five perfect games last year, one off a state record, but she’s been unlucky in 2024 as Tuesday was her fifth one-hitter.
“I told Abi, it doesn’t matter if they get one hits, two hits, if she’s pitching the way she is, we’re fine,” Winner said. “I’d even prefer that they put some balls in play.”
Miley Tingler earned a two-out walk to put two runners on in the fourth, but the senior hurler earned a strikeout to strand both.
Britton struck out the side in the fifth to secure the run-rule win.
“We faced a very good Allegany team, and we knew that coming in,” Petersburg head coach Bubba Hedrick said. “We’re very young, and I’m actually very pleased. Tonight and the last two years, the first inning, we just fall apart. They hit the ball and next thing you know you’re down five runs.”
Petersburg has just two upperclassmen on the roster and one senior in two-time All-Area pitcher Sam Colaw, but the right-hander didn’t throw Tuesday after tossing a complete game in a 9-3 triumph over sectional rival Moorefield the night before. See separate story on Page 2B.
Hedrick, who has a career 391-150 record in his 19th season at the helm, gave the ball to sophomore right-hander Olivia Kimble — who recovered from a slow start to retire Allegany in order in the third inning.
Sophomore Gracie Carpenter then tossed two shutout innings of relief.
Hedrick considered the strong finish a moral victory with an important sectional game at Tucker County on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“We have to do our best to try and keep the kids up, and they did, they hung in there,” said Hedrick. “In my world, would we like to win that game? Yeah, but last night’s game was more important, and tomorrow’s game is more important. … Those are games we have to win.”
It was a clean game, as the teams combined for just one error — a Petersburg miscue during the first inning as part of Allegany’s string of six straight to reach base to begin the contest.
Allegany now embarks on a key four-game stretch, beginning with a pair of home Western Maryland Athletic Conference bouts against Mountain Ridge on Thursday and Northern on Friday. Both games begin at 4:30 p.m.
After a road game at Meyersdale on Monday, the Campers welcome Morgantown to Lions Field on Tuesday, who the Campers edged 2-1 on April 5 and who handed them their lone regular-season loss last year.
“That’s a pretty good stretch. If we can get through that, we’ll be in good shape,” Winner said.