WINGATE - Three weeks ago when the Mifflin County and Bald Eagle Area softball teams met for the first time this season, the issue wasn't decided until the ninth inning when the Eagles scored a run for a 3-2 win.
However, in the rematch Wednesday afternoon, it was a totally different story as the Huskies scored early and often en route to a 9-0 shutout over the Eagles.
"This might be the best game we played all season," said MC coach Jack McCurdy. "We played well in all aspects of the game. We played great defense, the girls were seeing the ball well and hitting it hard and (Mikala Britt) gave us a strong game pitching. We were just clicking on all cylinders today."
Although there were a lot of different players who played roles in the Mifflin County win, one stood above all the others as Britt was dominating in both the circle and at the plate.
In the circle, Britt held the Eagles to just three singles in recording the shutout, while at the plate, she was a perfect 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a neatly executed safety squeeze bunt for a RBI.
"I had my fastball, change, curve and drop all working today," said Britt. "I usually don't play any other position when I am not pitching. I am really glad that we were able to beat them because when I was at Indian Valley we never beat them until last year."
Fact Box
Mifflin County travels to Mount Union Tuesday
As for being involved in the game both as a pitcher and batter, Britt feels she does a better job in both areas as opposed to being in the flex position.
"I actually I think I do a lot better (pitching) when I am batting," Britt said. "It makes me feel like I am more in the game."
McCurdy also liked what he saw from Britt in the circle.
"She had all four of her pitches working well today," he said. "She threw them at different speeds and different locations and when you can do that, you are going to be able to handcuff your opponent. She just did a fantastic job today."
The Huskies got off and running right out of the chute when Brandi Sherwood smacked the first pitch of the game offered by Megan Dudish off the left field fence, stole third and scored on a BEA error. Jordan Myers worked Dudish for a free pass and later scored on a RBI groundout by Kale Hunter to make it 2-0 Mifflin County.
Dudish appeared to have settled down through the next two innings, striking out four MC batters. But in the fourth, the Huskies added on as they played small ball to plate three more runs.
Jessica Lamberson doubled, Allessa Morrison singled and Emily Tomasello plated Lamberson with a safety squeeze bunt. Morrison later scored on another safety squeeze bunt by Britt. Tomasello raced home on a RBI single to center by Macie Lucas, and just like that the Husky lead had grown to 5-0.
While most of the action centered around the Huskies, the Lady Eagles weren't without a few chances to score, but just couldn't come up with the key hit.
With Britt very much in control of the game, the Huskies blew the game wide open with four runs in the top of the seventh. Big blows for MC were a single by Myers, a RBI single by Lamberson, a RBI single by Tomasello and a RBI infield hit by Julia Stuck.
The Eagles only had three hits in the loss, a pair of singles by Carrie Barnyak and one by Sonja Ross.
With the win, Mifflin County improves to 11-5, while the loss drops BEA to 7-4.
In the junior varsity game, the Huskies made it a clean sweep of the Eagles as they romped to a 12-0 win to remain undefeated at 15-0.
