A one-woman wrecking crew on the mound, paired with a defense that erased the game's only real threat, lifted Widefield to one of its most complete performances of the softball season against a ranked 3A opponent.
McEwen held The Classical Academy to a single hit while fanning 13 — the second time she had reached double digits in strikeouts this season — and Widefield claimed a 7-0 victory that improved the program's all-time record against 3A's No. 2-ranked Titans to 13-0. "They're a really good team and I try to bring my 'A' game against them," McEwen said, adding that she focuses on doing her job and letting her defense support her.
The only hit against McEwen came in the fourth inning, when a Titan doubled into scoring position with Widefield leading 2-0, and a subsequent at-bat sent another Titan to first on an error, leaving the Gladiators facing a potential tie game. The defense stepped up to neutralize the situation. A hard-hit ball to center field looked dangerous, but an outfielder ran it down for the catch, then noticed a baserunner had departed the bag prematurely, threw to second, and turned the play into an inning-ending double play. "I knew she was going to hit the ball because she's a really good hitter," said the outfielder who made the play. "I was ready for everything and I knew I could make it to the ball."
Coach Nick Leonard pointed to team cohesion as a key factor in the Gladiators' ability to recover from the brief defensive lapse. "Defense wins games and I keep telling the girls the other team can't beat us if they don't score," Leonard said. "When Liv is on, there's nobody better. She's taken a step forward this year trusting the defense behind her to make plays." He also noted that how the squad responds to errors has changed this season, saying the players support and pick each other up quickly after mistakes.
Widefield pushed its lead to 3-0 when an RBI double drove in a baserunner. The Gladiators added two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to reach seven on the night, with one player accounting for a game-high three RBIs, two of which came on a single that plated a pair of runners in the fifth. "This was a big win and they play us tough every year," Leonard said. "They have talented pitchers and great hitters. We played perfectly and I couldn't ask for more."
The Titans are scheduled to face Florence next, while Widefield turns its attention to a home-and-home series against Falcon, currently ranked No. 1 in 4A. "They're a very talented team and they have a great program over there," Leonard said of Falcon, noting that the Gladiators knew the matchup was coming and intend to prepare hard so they are ready when game day arrives.
How Widefield performs in that two-game set against the top-ranked Falcons will reveal whether the Gladiators' pitching and defense can hold up against 4A's best competition.