BREWER, Maine — Oxford High School’s softball teams have not lost more than three regular season games in one year since 2017.
The Vikings from South Paris continued their winning ways on Friday as impressive freshman righthander Kyeria Morse pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts in a dominant performance as they triumphed 12-0 over Brewer at Coffin Field.
The game was called after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Oxford Hills is now 13-1 and atop the Class A North Heal Points standings while fourth seed Brewer is 10-4 after having its four-game winning streak snapped.
Oxford Hills has won five in a row since dropping a 3-2 decision to Messalonskee of Oakland on May 15 and it has outscored its opponents 191-15 this season.
The Vikings are 68-10 in regular season games dating back to the start of the 2018 season.
The youthful and overachieving Witches have already won more games this season than they won in their previous two years combined (9-23) since being elevated to Class A from Class B, where they won back-to-back state titles in 2018 and ‘19.
Morse, pitching to her senior sister Kaydence behind the plate, threw just 64 pitches of which 46 were strikes. Senior shortstop Jordan Doak collected the only hit off Morse, a line drive base hit to right to lead off the fourth inning.
“She was a very good pitcher,” Doak said. “She threw very hard and she had very good accuracy, too.”
Morse said her pitches were a little faster than normal on Friday. Throwing to her sister, someone who has caught her throughout her life, is beneficial, she said.
“She is a great catcher,” Morse said.
In addition to her pitching exploits, Morse also ripped a two-run homer to left in the fourth inning after singling in the third.
Morse received all the run support she would need when the Vikings pushed across three runs in the first inning.
Miah Gallan was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored when she stole third and the throw from the catcher went off the third baseman’s glove.
Kaydence Morse then rifled a scorching one-hop single off Doak’s leg, Kyeria Morse reached on an infield error and freshman first baseman Charlotte McGreevy dropped a two-run single into right field.
“I was just looking to put the ball in play to score those runs,” McGreevy said. “I knew if we could get ahead early, it would make the rest of the game a lot easier.”
Oxford Hills added three more runs in the third on Tristen Derenburger’s two-run double and Gabrielle Wright’s run-scoring single.
Morse’s two-run homer highlighted the six-run fourth-inning rally.
Morse’s homer and single, Derenburger’s double and single and Wright’s two base hits paced the Vikings, who capitalized on an uncharacteristic seven errors made by the normally sure-handed Witches.
“We knew we were the No. 1 seed and what we needed to do to stay there so the girls came out really focused to take care of business,” Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard said. “We executed when we needed to.”
Up next: Oxford Hills hosts Lewiston on Saturday morning at 11 while Brewer hosts Hampden Academy on Monday night at 7.
