The Park Hill softball team defeated Park Hill South 6-0 behind a big pitching performance from senior Brooklyn Bertoncino on Oct. 1.
Park Hill senior pitcher Brooklyn Bertoncino had 11 strikeouts in seven innings to help complete the season sweep of Park Hill South on Oct. 1.
Park Hill didn’t just get a quality start out of Bertoncino, they also got a complete game shutout from her. The senior struck out 11 batters on 91 pitches across seven innings, allowing just two baserunners.
The Trojans were opportunistic at the plate as they capitalized on errors and did what needed to be done to put runs on the board. Park Hill infielders Elliott Harris and Autumn Bridges each had two runs batted in to provide run support for Bertoncino.
“The kids did what they needed to,” head coach Jeremy Benninghoff said. “When we come out and pitch well, play good defense, hit the ball hard, good things are going to happen.”
Both teams came out with sound defensive performances in the first inning, but Park Hill South couldn’t get out of its own way in the second inning. Plagued by a pair of errors on routine plays, Park Hill took advantage of the opportunities by running two unearned runs across the plate to take a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
The Trojans added another run in the third when Autumn Bridges singled to right field, driving in Mandia Bock with one out, but South limited the damage to just one run as freshman Jolie Jones pitched her way out of it. The Trojans went up 5-0 when an RBI-double from Harris was followed by a sacrifice fly from Bridges in the fifth inning.
Park Hill’s sixth run came from the speed of junior Elizabeth Beckley, who entered the game as a pinch-runner for Brynlee Johnson in the sixth inning. After watching Bock strike out, Beckley stole second and third base before Harris drove her in on a sacrifice fly to center field.
“It always feels good to defeat the crosstown and district rival,” Benninghoff said. “We love those guys over there and the kids, we know them well, but it always feels good to get a victory and a little extra special against the district rival for sure.”
The victory extended the Trojans’ winning streak to six straight games as they improved to 20-6 on the season. It was also the fifth consecutive win against their district rival, completing the regular-season sweep for the second straight year, last losing to South in 2023.
Bertoncino’s 11-strikeout performance showcased the prolific starting pitching that Park Hill has displayed throughout the season. The senior starter has shared the pitchers’ circle with Brock, who combined to throw 13 strikeouts against the Panthers in their 8-3 win on Sept. 22.
“It feels good to know that I got into double-digits,” Bertoncino said of shutting out the Panthers this time. “I got in there and did my job.”
Park Hill will focus on continuing its winning streak with hopes of closing out a second consecutive conference championship. If they win out in the regular season, they will achieve a 25-win season for the second straight season.
Bertoncino and the Trojans plan to continue having fun as they enter the final five-game stretch before districts. They hope a good attitude and each player understanding their role will allow them to hit the 25-win milestone and extend it deep into the postseason.
“I knew we had a chance to be good again this year because our core was coming back,” Benninghoff said. “But because we had some new pieces, I wasn’t quite sure how that was going to fit, but it’s fitting in great. The kids are wonderful; they really buy into doing whatever it takes to win a softball game.”
Park Hill South faced a quick turnaround to the defeat with a trip out of town for the Springfield Invitational on Oct. 3-4, where they went 2-5 overall with wins against Branson and Aurora. The Panthers are 12-17 this season, but the Panthers’ next win would put them above 12 wins for the first time since 2021.
Park Hill South freshman shortstop Kinsey Haley turns a double play for the Panthers against Park Hill.