L-P’s Taylor Vescogni outduels Morris’ Mylie Hughes for Interstate 8 victory

The weather may have been cold and blustery, but the pitching was hot for both teams as the La Salle-Peru softball team came away with a 3-0 victory over Morris in an Interstate 8 Conference game Monday at the L-P Sports Complex in La Salle.

L-P pitcher Taylor Vescogni sat down all three Morris batters in order with a strikeout on the final batter of the first inning to set the tone for the afternoon.

Morris pitcher Mylie Hughes was nearly as impressive, but Karmen Piano reached for L-P in the bottom half of the inning on an error and stole two bases, but was turned away and the game remained scoreless.

Both teams went in order in the second inning and then in the top of the third, Morris got the game’s first hit on a single from Devin Shenberg, but Vescogni retired the side with three strikeouts.

“We had a couple of chances today,” Morris coach Jen Bamonte said. “Both pitchers were solid only giving up five hits total, but sometimes the bats are tough to get going on cold days.”

In the bottom of the third, Hughes struck out the first two batters of the inning before L-P got things going.

Piano reached on a double off the right field wall for the Cavaliers’ first hit of the game and Callie Mertes followed that with a walk.

L-P's Kelsey Frederick gives a "thumbs up" sign to the bench after hitting a double against Morris on Monday, April 7, 2025 at the L-P Athletic Complex in La Salle. (Scott Anderson)

That brought up Kelsey Frederick, who crushed a two-run double to right center field that scored Piano and Mertes to put the Cavaliers ahead 2-0.

Anna Riva then slapped the first pitch for an RBI single to left field that scored Frederick to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 edge.

“Kelsey (Frederick) and Anna (Riva) had a couple big hits there for us,” L-P coach Randy Huebbe said. “We made a couple of adjustments where we got off the plate a little bit and started hitting the ball and it paid off.”

Vescogni continued to roll as she once again retired Morris in order during the fourth inning as did Hughes when L-P returned to the plate in the bottom half.

Morris then picked up a single from Addy Hackett in the fifth, but once again could not string together multiple hits to get a rally going.

That trend continued in the bottom half of the inning as Lydia Steinbach reached on a bunt single, but Hughes and Morris slammed the door shut once again.

In the sixth, Hughes and Vescogni each had multiple strikeouts.

“It’s definitely difficult to get the right spins on the ball in the cold,” Vescogni said. “You just have to block out the cold and focus and sequencing the rise ball and the change up. When I do that is when I’m most successful.”

L-P was led by Frederick with a hit and a pair of RBIs, while Riva also had a hit and an RBI. Vescogni struck out 13 batters.

Morris was led by Hackett and Shenberg with hits while Hughes struck out nine batters.

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L-P's Callie Mertes slides in safely to home as the throw comes in late to Morris catcher Addy Hackett on Monday, April 7, 2025 at the L-P Athletic Complex in La Salle. (Scott Anderson)