GSL fastpitch softball: Jaya Allen shuts out University for undefeated Shadle Park

Jaya Allen had an off day at the plate Thursday.

The Shadle Park junior more than made up for it in the circle, shutting out the University Titans 3-0 in a Greater Spokane League game under a sun-kissed sky at U-Hi.

While most GSL teams head into the spring break, the defending champion Highlanders (5-0) are the lone undefeated team. Shadle entertains Rogers today in a makeup of a rainout earlier.

The Titans (6-1 overall, 5-1 league) made Allen work early. They put runners on second and third in the first, but Allen escaped.

Allen was most elusive in the second, allowing three straight hits to load the bases. But she coaxed a fielder’s choice and a strikeout to squelch U-Hi’s hopes.

Allen got all the offense she needed when Meghan Keenan laced a sharp single up the middle in the fourth, scoring two. Leslie Jones had reached on a fielder’s choice and Allen got her lone hit, beating out an infield grounder.

In the sixth, Jones belted a solo homer.

“Jaya pitched well and we got our bats going,” Shadle coach Guy Perham said. “Our bats haven’t been 100 percent, but we had a lot of people contribute.”

After allowing four hits in the first two innings, Allen gave up just one more while striking out five.

“I decided to go with a little more spin in the first few innings and then mix in speeds in the last few innings because they were getting off balanced,” Allen said.

U-Hi coach Jon Schuh, who has just two seniors, saw much progress even in defeat.

“We had plenty of opportunities,” Schuh said. “The big difference is that when we had opportunities we didn’t execute and when they had opportunities they did. When Jaya had to pitch tough, she pitched tough.”

Perham was pleased with his team’s defense, especially that of right fielder Jenny Eberling, who made her first start. She made two big catches, including one in which she dove into foul territory and clung on to the ball.

“U-Hi makes you bend and when you break, then they make you pay two or three runs later off of one hit and two or three errors,” Perham said. “We bent, but we didn’t break and that’s what wins games.”