Mattia strikes out 14 to keep Gwynn Park undefeated

By James A. McCray III
Prince George's County, Content Manager

As a junior on the Gwynn Park Yellow Jackets varsity softball team, pitcher Jessica Mattia is in the peculiar position as one of the leaders on a team that fields a lineup of seven starting sophomores.

And although the skies were gray throughout Thursday afternoon's contest with the visiting Largo Lions, it was Mattia who shined the brightest and showed why she was a leader as she totaled 14 strikeouts to help the Yellow Jackets to a 10-0 win in five innings.

"I had to make sure all my pitches were moving and keep all the infielders pumped, and keep it going through the whole game," Mattia said.

Mattia was strong throughout the contest as she faced 18 batters and only allowed two hits en route to her 14-strikeout performance, much to the joy of Gwynn Park head coach Wes Courtney.

"She is a junior," Courtney said of Mattia, "but she is awesome. She has been awesome for three years."

Yet in still with a young team, the defending county champions improved to 5-0 on the season with the victory.

"All of those sophomores, you saw how they played," Courtney said. "We are waiting for them to jell, and it is going to take all year for them to learn."

One of the impressive sophomores against Largo was Alexis Randall as she went 2 for 3 from the plate with two doubles and a RBI.

"Well, basically, I just had to just be confident and see the ball and just drive it," Randall said. "And that's what I did."

The Yellow Jackets were able to score in every inning of the run-rule shortened contest with its biggest scoring output coming in the opening frame of the game.

Although many runs came as a result of errant throws, senior Catherine Allen led the team with 2 RBIs on the day, and also scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning to secure the victory.

At the helm of such a young Yellow Jackets team, Courtney has a simple philosophy on coaching the squad this year adding: "We don't yell or get on them much, they run a lot. If they mess up, they run. I don't fight with them, they just run."

Largo (4-2) opened the game with a hit from lead-off batter Angela Figueroa, however could not solve the pitching of Mattia.

The Lions still performed well in the day's efforts and Largo head coach Keith Hutchins was pleased with the day's effort.

"It was a good game, we will be alright," Hutchins said. "But those errors will beat you every time. ... Every game is basically a learning experience and we are coming along. We have four returning players from last year, and for everyone else this is new to them.

"I think they played well, and in each game they are learning more and more."

Largo starting pitcher Charlise Morgan struck out five batters on the day.

E-mail: James A. McCray III

Gwynn Park 10, Largo 0 (5 inns.)
Largo           --   0 0 0  0 0  --  0   2   5
Gwynn Park  --   3 1 2  2 2  -- 10  6   1
WP: J. Mattia   LP: Morgan
2B: GP (Randall 2)