HURLING STRIKES — Martin County West pitcher Kelley Bettin fires a fastball to the plate for a strike during nonconference softball action against MVL on Friday at Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome. (Photo by Greg Abel)

WELCOME — Kelley Bettin’s arm led the Mavericks to victory.

Kelley Bettin pitched a complete-game shutout from the circle, while the Martin County West offense scored early runs to build a 5-0 win over the Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers during nonconference softball action Friday at Fox Lake Sports Complex in Welcome.

Bettin allowed nine runners in the matchup on six hits, while striking out seven. She only faced scoring-position trouble four times.

The MCW offense scored in the first and second innings to go ahead.

Ivy Kokoruda led off the home half of the first with a hustle triple down the right-field line, then scored when Paige Anderson reached base on an error.

Hailee Schuett sent a liner to the fence in right-center for a double, but a perfect relay throw from MVL’s Alyssa Ulrich caught Paige Anderson trying to score. Taylor Elliott then sent a hard liner back up the middle for an RBI single to put the Mavericks’ up 2-0.

MCW matched its output in the second inning.

Kiley Bettin led off the inning with a walk, then with two outs Kokoruda reached on an error, allowing Bettin to score. Paige Anderson then lined a ball to the fence in center to score Kokoruda.

MCW scored its final run in the fifth when Thea Anderson led off with a first-pitch line-drive double that stayed just fair down the left field line. Thea Anderson later took third on a passed ball. Kiley Bettin then gave her sister an insurance run with an RBI groundout.

“We came ready to play tonight,” MCW head coach Darrell Ziegler said. “The other night we kind of went through the motions in the early part of the game and that was probably the key there. Tonight, we had some good at-bats right away and got an early lead. We played very well defensively and made some nice plays.”

Kelley Bettin escaped trouble in the fifth with two strikeouts after singles put runners on first and second, then used a strikeout and a nice defensive play to escape a second and third situation in the sixth. After a strikeout she put a second out on the board, a liner came back at Bettin in the circle, which she knocked down, turning it into a roller toward Elliott at shortstop. Elliott fielded and fired the ball to first in time for a bang-bang out.

A similar groundout ended the seventh, completing Kelley Bettin’s shutout.

“We’ve been working with her a bit on some things and she did a good job of hitting the outside corner consistently tonight,” Ziegler said. “She worked ahead in the count for the most part and that made a big difference. And the girls made some nice plays behind her.”

Becca Kuck pitched all six innings for MVL, allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits and three walks, while striking out five.

Kokoruda tripled and scored twice, while Paige Anderson hit an RBI double. Schuett doubled and scored a run, while Elliott had a single, an RBI and walked once. Thea Anderson doubled and scored a run, while Kiley Bettin scored a run and walked.

The Mavericks (7-6) play host to Fairmont in a 4:30 p.m. nonconference game on Tuesday in Welcome.

MVL 000 000 0 — 0 6 2

MCW 220 001 x — 5 5 0

Kelley Bettin (WP) and Ivy Kokoruda. Becca Kuck (LP) and Grace Rich.

LOB–MVL 7, MCW 4. 2B–Hailee Schuett (MCW), Paige Anderson (MCW), Thea Anderson (MCW). 3B–Ivy Kokoruda (MCW). SAC–MacKenna Dressel (MVL).