High school softball: Elyria freshman Braylee Beckham shuts out Magnificat

FAIRVIEW PARK — Freshman pitcher Braylee Beckham had a monster game Thursday to lead Elyria past Magnificat 7-0 in a non-conference showdown."It was really nice to get back in the win column," Elyria coach Keenan Williams said. "We lost a couple tough ones, we gave away a game yesterday, so to bounce back today the way we did was encouraging."Beckham threw a complete game, allowing only two hits. She struck out 13 without a walk."I just try to have confidence in myself," Beckham said. "My curveball was working, my riseball worked most of the time and my change-up was working at the beginning of the game and at the end."Beckham finished with an efficient 89 pitches, 62 of them strikes. With the scoreless performance, it lowered her ERA to 3.18 across 121 innings pitched."Domination. She was really good," Williams said. "She was able to mix up speeds and she had it all working today."Elyria got out to an early lead in the first inning as freshmen Hannah Quayle and Kaedence Niemeyer had RBI singles to make it 2-0.Freshman Camille Dunlap came home on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-0.Another wild pitch in the top of the fourth allowed junior Kaidyn DeChant to score to make it 4-0.Two more runs scored as Dunlap drove in her second run of the game and freshman Lexi Poulus dropped in a single as Elyria led 6-0 in the fourth.The seventh and final run was scored as Quayle came home on another wild pitch.Elyria notched nine hits, as Quayle led the way with three as she raised her season average to .461 through 76 at-bats.Poulus also had a multihit game, to go along with a walk and an RBI."I think it is a mental thing right now," Magnificat coach Eric Wheeler said. "Our team has done so much throughout the offseason and throughout this season. The last three games it's a combination of really good pitching we have run into, and we have been getting in our heads a little bit, pressing with two strikes."Senior Marylynn Kennedy started in the circle for Magnificat. The right-hander pitched four innings, allowing six runs (four earned), seven hits and three walks without a strikeout.Kennedy was relieved in the fifth by righty Ella Restifo. The sophomore went three innings, surrendering an earned run, two hits and five walks with one strikeout."I would rather have these games now and get them out of the way before we reach the playoffs," said Wheeler. "For now, it's just keep pushing on. I keep telling them that they have done the work, just don't think too much at the plate, and swing hard."The only two hits registered by Magnificat were from Restifo and catcher Cailey Lentz.