ELLENBORO, W.Va. — For Ritchie County softball coach Dave Mossor, career win No. 800 came in the fashion so many of the previous 799 had — behind a dominant performance from a Rebels’ pitcher, while the team’s at bats progressively improved over the course of the contest.
Rebels’ freshman Rocklyn Marcum struck out 11 over a five-inning effort in which she limited South Harrison to one hit, and Ritchie County scored three times in the second inning and added five more in the fifth to end its 8-0 home win early.
“I saw that she’d be a good pitcher in sixth grade and she goes through her progressions every time,” Mossor said. “Each time, she sets herself up to be successful.”
The only hit Marcum allowed came off the bat off Abbi Cowger, who accounted for a two-out single to right field in the second inning, providing the Hawks with their second and what proved to be their last baserunner of the matchup.
RCHS broke through in the home half of the second. Blake Butta led off with a single to right and moved to third on a Rindy Perkins double to left. Hawks’ starting pitcher Alexis Shaw buckled down and induced a ground ball to third that led to the first out of the inning at the plate, and after Shaw got Ava Louk to fly out to left for the second out, it appeared the Hawks may escape unscathed.
Instead, Perkins scored on a wild pitch and an error at shortstop allowed Marcum to reach base and Ava Satterfield to cross the plate for a 2-0 advantage. Chelsie Jeffrey’s infield single scored Satterfield to make it 3-0, which was more than enough offense for Marcum.
The freshman entered the third with five strikeouts and added two more in each of the next three innings while retiring all nine batters she faced in the process.
It marked another strong outing for Marcum, something that’s been a theme throughout the Rebels for the majority of their first 10 games.
“She lost two games to Doddridge and St. Marys and I thought she pitched well enough to win,” Mossor said. “We didn’t put enough runs across and that seems to be our problem.”
While Shaw retired all six batters she faced over the third and fourth frames, the Rebels broke the matchup open courtesy of a five-run fifth.
It began with a Marcum double to left, and she immediately scored when Jeffrey followed suit with a double to left of her own.
After Lilly Moon connected for a run-scoring double to make it 5-0, Kila Fryer and Butta accounted for consecutive singles, the latter of which allowed Moon to score. Two batters later, Satterfield ended the matchup with a well-placed two-run single to right.
“We plated eight runs, and that’s alright, but we still have girls struggling to hit,” Mossor said.
Six of Ritchie’s nine hits came in the fifth.
Both pitchers issued one base-on-balls.
Jeffrey and Butta had two hits apiece to lead all players.
Mossor’s 800th win was celebrated afterward with current members of the team’s roster and coaching staff.
“I’ve done it a hell of a long time,” said Mossor, who began as head coach in 1985 and has two state championships and 10 appearances in title games. “I look back and reflect on it and you remember a lot. People will ask how I remember all these things from a different time, but I just do. I remember in 1991, felt like I blew the state championship, but we came back and won it in 1992.”
Mossor also helped lead RCHS to a state championship in 2011.