Junior Melina DeFelice recorded her 100th career strikeout in the first inning en route to Baldwin’s softball team shutting out Peters Township on Friday, 7-0.

“Honestly, I knew I was going to get it eventually during the game one way or another, so I was just keeping calm,” DeFelice said. “I was excited because I’ve definitely been waiting for this.”

Senior Reese Temme said DeFelice and junior Ava Bonacci stood out for the Highlanders.

“Melina stood out, hitting her 100th strikeout,” Temme said. “Ava stood out for her hit, and really got something going for us.”

DeFelice added that senior Kenzie Bowen also played a great game.

“She got on base three times with two hits and a walk, which definitely helped us a lot,” she said.

Temme said that as a team, the Highlanders played very well.

“It was very good defensively overall, and we didn’t give up anything and any opportunities,” Temme said. “Our offense was really strong, and we built off one another so well. We finally started to make contact and find holes.”

DeFelice credited the Highlanders with their energy throughout the game.

“We kept the energy up, we were hitting, and we kept the strikeouts low,” she said.

DeFelice credited Peters Township for how they played.

“Their defense held us in the first couple of innings,” she said.

Temme agreed.

“We struggled to hang on (with their pitching) at some points, but after adjusting, we were able to accomplish our goal,” she said.

The team’s overall record is 9-1, and they have an undefeated 7-0 record in WPIAL Class 5A Section 4 play.

While the team has done well this season, DeFelice believes there are some improvements the team can make.

“I think that we can communicate a bit better in the field, and also score in the first few innings,” she said.

Temme agreed.

“Starting earlier in the game, getting the bats going earlier in the game, is important,” she said. “We came out a little too weak, and jumping on them earlier would be more sufficient for us.”

The team’s next game is at 4 p.m. today away at Connellsville in another section matchup.