Gettysburg's Staub tosses complete game in first varsity start
In the middle of a four-game week and looking to preserve the arm of senior starting pitcher Madelyn Yannetti, Gettysburg head coach Max Laing gave sophomore Olivia Staub her first varsity start Thursday.
Staub rewarded her coach's faith by tossing a complete game to help the Warriors to a 13-2, five-inning victory against Fairfield in Thursday's softball action.
Staub allowed one earned run and five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. She went the distance on 58 pitches, 37 of them strikes.
"It was a good opportunity on a four-game week to give Olivia a start," Laing said. "It also gave me a chance to see what she might be going forward because we will need a new No. 1 pitcher next year."
"She has pitched in relief a few times in varsity games. But it's different going out there to start a game, and I didn't want her first start potentially being next year."
Gettysburg (7-5) staked Staub to a three-run lead before she even walked into the circle as Taylor Mummert and Bri Crushong each ripped run-scoring doubles sandwiched around Dalyce Kump's RBI single.
Fairfield (3-6) got a run back in its half of the first on Megan Whalen's single that plated Courtney Harbaugh.
The Green Knights also sent a different pitcher to the circle than they usually do, as Harbaugh played shortstop, while Alexis Lansford got the ball.
Lansford worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second without allowing a run and would've escaped the third after allowing just one run. However, two additional runs came home for the Warriors after a dropped fly ball with two outs.
Gettysburg sent 12 girls to the plate in the fourth and seven of them scored a run with Crushong driving in two with a triple and Yannetti and Hailey Abruzzi each plating a run with a single.
Mummert, Kump, Crushong, Abruzzi, Dani Cool and Alexis Kennedy each supplied two hits to the Warriors' 15-hit attack and eight of the nine starters had hits with all nine of them scoring at least one run.
"We've been hitting well lately, especially with two outs," Laing said. "That's a little dangerous when that's your calling card, but its better than leaving them out there."
Harbaugh scored both Green Knight runs and also had two hits, including a triple in the bottom of the fifth.
Both teams return to the diamond today as Gettysburg plays at Dallastown, while Fairfield hosts York Suburban. Both games are slated for 4:15 p.m. starts.
Gettysburg 13, Fairfield 2 (F/5)
Gettysburg30370—13151Faifield10001—252
Get, Olivia Staub and Dalyce Kump. F, Alexis Lansford and Gena Eiker.
SO-BB — Get, Staub 3-2. F, Lansford 3-5; W — Staub; L — Lansford; 2B — Get, Taylor Mummert, Bri Crushong. F, Maddie Macharsky; 3B — Get, Crushong. F, Courtney Harbaugh.