Belle Vernon, Parshall turn back Yough

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

With the Class 4A WPIAL softball championship on the line, Bailey Parshall wasn’t take any chances.

Parshall pitched seven innings of one-run ball and struck out nine, leading Belle Vernon to its second WPIAL title in the past three years with a 4-1 win against Yough at Lilley Field Thursday afternoon.

For as good as Parshall was on the mound, she was perhaps just as dominant at the plate. The junior pitcher ripped three doubles for two RBIs and drew a four-pitch walk to round out a stellar performance.

“She was better than us today,” said Yough coach Dutch Harvey. “That’s the difference in the game.”

Parshall’s only big mistake came in the fifth. After the Cougars had gone hitless through four innings, Yough senior center fielder Olivia Miller ripped a home run to left field to lead off the fifth. Hailey Warrick reached first on an infield single and first baseman Hailey Westerman laced a single through the middle to create a serious threat.

Parshall said her thought process at the time was “Shut them down. Throw strikes. Get ahead.” She didn’t deviate from that plan. Even after a double steal put runners at second third, she didn’t lose her composure. Parshall struck out Nina Maroney and induced a soft bunt for a forceout to end the inning.

“Usually,” said Belle Vernon coach Dom Rodriguez, “B.P. — if we get two runs for her — we’re in good shape.”

Those two runs came early for Belle Vernon and Yough never led.

After Parshall’s two-run double to deep center in the sixth, Cougars starting pitcher Kierra Waywood gave way to Karlie Clark.

But even with his team ahead, 41, Rodriguez was far from content.