Chico's McKena Harvey throws 1 hitter under Friday night lights against Pleasant Valley
CHICO - The Pleasant Valley and Chico High softball teams faced off in an always anticipated rivalry, but Friday brought another level of intensity and excitement as the Vikings and Panthers played under the lights for the first time. It was a pitchers dual throughout, but Chico prevailed in the 2-0 victory behind starting pitcher McKena Harvey's one-hit shutout.
Both Chico and PV had all day to wait for the late night game Friday, but once the first pitch was thrown it was just like any other cross-town rivalry match. The stands were packed with blue, white, red and gold, and both teams looked to feed off the energy the fans brought.
After the wait was over Harvey allowed one hit - a slow dribbler, swinging bunt-type single from PV's Reese Brunemeyer to lead off the second inning. Harvey walked three batters and struck out 11. Harvey got nine of the first 12 outs via strikeout, and got strikeout No. 10 to begin the bottom of the fifth inning.
Harvey balanced a three pitch mix of her rise ball, drop ball and changeup to keep the Vikings' hitters off balance.
"It was wrapped around everybody's finger," said Chico catcher Kai Peterson of Harvey's rise ball. "Her changeup got them too because with the off speed they weren't expecting it since they'd been looking high all game. With her drop they weren't looking low so she got them with that too."
Pleasant Valley pitcher Rylie Bumgarner, a sophomore, matched Harvey nearly pitch-for-pitch. Bumgarner allowed two hits (both by Harvey), two runs (one earned), walked four and struck out nine. Bumgarner battled Chico's leadoff hitter Leah Cawthon in an eight pitch at bat to begin the game, before getting Cawthon to strike out swinging. After stranding one runner on base in the first inning, Bumgarner struck out the side in the top of the second inning.
Pleasant Valley shortstop Lily Thurman said in pitcher's duals like Tuesdays as a shortstop and leading hitter for the Vikings she is just doing anything she can especially on defense to back up her pitcher.
"The little things matter when it comes to games like this because we have two high level pitchers and they're working their butts off," Thurman said.
In the top of the third inning Camile Murphy reached on a walk, Cawthon reached on a fielder's choice, Cawthon stole second base, before Harvey doubled on a ball that bounced against the left field wall to score the first run of the game. Bumgarner appeared to have Harvey fooled with a changeup, but Harvey reached out and was able to get it just over the left fielder's head.
"That first run was what fired us up and got us going all night," Peterson said.
The Panthers nearly scored a second run, but the Pleasant Valley right fielder Leila Sanchez made a shoe-string catch on a shallow fly ball off the bat of Kai Peterson to end the inning and keep the Chico lead at 1-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Bumgarner walked to lead off the inning giving momentum to the Vikings. Luciana Bianchi ran for the pitcher Bumgarner, but after Harvey got her eighth strikeout the Panthers' catcher Peterson thew out Bianchi stealing second base.
In the top of the fifth inning Chico had two runners reach via walk, and Harvey came to the plate with two outs. She hit a high bouncing ground ball to the Vikings' shortstop Lily Thurman, who threw to first but the ball was dropped by the Vikings' first baseman Brunemeyer. One run scored, but the Panthers stranded two baserunners.
PV made one final push a run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kate Soulliere reached on a four-pitch walk, Bre Soulliere moved Kate Soulliere to second base on a sacrifice bunt to bring up the Vikings' leading hitter Thurman. Thurman had two big swings, before hitting a high pop up to first base. Thurman collided with Chico's first baseman Chloe Hines running to first base, Thurman was called out, and Hines remained in the game after being evaluated on the field.
"I didn't know the rules. I thought she was in my base path so I kept on going," Thurman said. "I wasn't trying to be dirty. That's not who I am. (The umpires) just told me I've got to get out of the way."
Thurman said the takeaways from Friday are that in a 2-0 game it can go one way or another and, "this is a game of failure and we can't drown or dwell on this one."
Chico (10-5, 2-0 EAL) and Pleasant Valley (11-7, 1-1 EAL) are both just two games into their Eastern Athletic League schedule, and both teams will face off once more at 4 p.m. May 5 at Chico High School.
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