Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Miller quiets Coatesville’s bats
Strikes out 19 in Shanahan’s 1-0 victory
After two postponements in the last week, two of the top teams in the ChesMont League, Bishop Shanhanan and Coatesville, finally played for the first time this season. It was worth the wait as Shanahan’s Devon Miller and Coatesville’s Bri White battled in a pitcher’s duel for the ages.
The game went into the bottom of the sixth locked in a scoreless tie before the Eagles finally manufactured a run to edge the Red Raiders, 1-0, in the National Division contest.
“We’ve had a couple tough losses this week,” said Shanahan coach Ron Savastio, “We got here today, and I just asked them to give everything they could for seven innings. It’s amazing for them to come back with a win like this today.”
For a while, it seemed like no one would ever get a hit. Miller was about as dominant as you could get, striking out nine of the first 10 hitters she faced, including
“We’ve had a couple tough losses this week. We got here today, and I just asked them to give everything they could for seven innings. It’s amazing for them to come back with a win like this today.” – Bishop Shanahan coach Ron Savastio
a rare four strikeout second inning after Peyton Landis reached base on a dropped third strike. When all was said and done, Miller allowed just one hit — a bunt single from Ashley Mendenhall — while striking out 19 and walking just one. Not a single ball left the infield as she shut down an offense that scored 14 runs on Wednesday.
“I was getting a lot of first strikes with my screwball, and the riseball was getting the strikeouts,” said Miller. “It just feels good to come back and get a big win over a good team like Coatesville. I’ve really been looking forward to this game, especially after it getting cancelled twice. I’m just glad we came out with the win.”
White may not have been quite as dominant, but pitched a fantastic game herself. Shanahan’s first hit didn’t come until the fifth inning on a Cat Peterson single. White finished the day having allowing one run on two hits. She struck out six and walked two.
“We weren’t at all patient at the plate,” said Coatesville coach Bill Mendenhall. “She (Miller) was getting us with the inside screwball, and we were chasing balls outside the strike zone. We never made the adjustments we needed to make against her.”
Shanahan (10-4) finally broke the stalemate in the sixth. Katie Newton led off the inning by beating out a bunt for a base hit. After White struck out the next hitter, Miller reached on a fielder’s choice, with Newton being safe when the transfer was dropped at second. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third. Newton raced home on a ground ball off the bat of Annie Weyand, sliding in just under the tag at home.
“Without Annie’s RBI, I don’t get in to score,” said Newton. “But I knew once I saw the umpire signal safe, we were going to win the game with the way Devon was pitching. This was a great win we really needed as a team.”
Despite the loss, Coatesville (12-2, 12-3) still sits alone at the top of the Ches-Mont National standings, a game ahead of Avon Grove, and two up on Shanahan, who they will meet once again next Friday night under the lights at Caln Park.
“We can’t think about a rematch yet,” said Mendenhall. “We have Avon Grove coming up on Monday, and that is another good team. Once we get past that, then maybe we can start thinking about Friday.”