By Staff
By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Charity Watson will get a break from the diamond this weekend when she attends Washington High School’s prom.
On Thursday, the sophomore showed why she is queen of the mound, dancing and dazzling her way to another gem. Watson fired a perfect game in Washington’s 6-0 win over West Carteret in Coastal Conference action, keeping the Pam Pack (15-1, 11-1) in first place with D.H. Conley (11-1).
The Vikings held onto a first-place tie thanks to a 3-2 win over South Central on Thursday. Washington and Conley will meet on Tuesday with first place on the line. The Pack took a 4-2 win at Conley in action earlier this year.
Watson (15-1) will look to maintain her sensational run. In retiring all 21 batters she faced on Thursday, striking out 15 of them, it gave Watson her second perfect game of the season and the fourth of her career.
Watson, who now has 200 strikeouts on the year, has thrown two perfect games and one no-hitter in her previous four outings.
She has five no-hitters this season and 12 in her two-year career.
The defense only had to field five plays behind Watson. First baseman Samantha Mobley handled two weak grounders and a pop up, second baseman Kayla Spain made a nice stop of a sharp grounder and third baseman Marissa Fucito easily handled a chopper.
Watson preserved the shutout by making a nice grab of a pop up to end the game.
Spain said the defense has to make sure it stays on its toes even with Watson striking out so many batters.
The Pack gave all the runs Watson would need in the second. Stowe reached on a bunt single and she eventually scored when Lauren Allen reached on a fielder’s choice. Spain, who had also reached on a fielder’s choice, and Allen scored when Davey Ann Burbage reached on an error for a 3-0 lead.
Washington, which has won five straight, tacked on two more in the fifth. Taylor Rogers laced a one-out single into right and Fucito’s double into center scored her to make it 4-0. Fucito trotted home when Watson reached on an error for a 5-0 advantage.
Burbage scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to close out the scoring.
After Tuesday’s game with Conley, the Pack will close out regular season play Thursday against South Central on Senior Night for the Pam Pack. Pake is hoping that playing two of the top teams in the conference will prepare her team for the playoffs.
West Carteret 000 000 0 — 0 0 4
Washington 030 021 x — 6 7 0
WP: Charity Watson; LP: Valerie Sherrer
Hitters: WC — None; W — Samantha Mobley 2-4, Marissa Fucito 1-3 (2B, RBI), Taylor Rogers 1-3, Charity Watson 1-3, Hayley Stowe 1-3, Kayla Spain 1-3.