Emily Mealey produced the power.
Grace Lescavage supplied the finesse.
Minersville's freshman first baseman and junior pitcher led the way Saturday as the Miners cruised to an 8-0, non-league victory over Pottsville in front of a large, sun-splashed crowd at the 16th Street Complex.
Mealey went 3-for-4 with an RBI single in the first inning and a three-run home run in the third that extended the Miners' lead to 5-0.
"I knew it was gone. As soon as it hit the bat I was really excited,'' Mealey said.
That offense proved plenty for Lescavage, who changed speeds and locations to baffle the Crimson Tide lineup. The right-hander finished with a one-hitter and struck out 12.
Catcher Morgen Woodford threw out a runner trying to steal second base as Lescavage faced the minimum through 4.2 innings.
"We executed the bunt early in the game. We got the clutch, two-strike, two-out hits all the time. We ran the bases well. Gracie pitched a helluva game,'' Minersville coach Dave Homa said. "We got all the fundamentals down. There's still room to improve, a little tweaking we have to do here and there, but that was a real good performance against a really good, well-coached ballclub.''
In addition to its early offense, Minersville (3-1) continued to add on.
No. 9 batter Alyse Ryan, who went 3-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored, rapped an RBI single to right field in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Leah Leshko smacked a two-run single to set the final. Both run-producing hits came with two outs.
Cleanup hitter Lindsey Snyder also had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-4 and scoring a run.
"I've got to give (Minersville) credit,'' Pottsville coach Chuck Rinaldo said. "They stayed with it. We didn't.''
Leading 2-0 in the third inning, the Miners went back to their short game to keep the pressure on the Tide. Ryan led off by push-bunting a ball over the third baseman's head and turning it into a double when nobody covered second base. Rachel Sterner sacrificed and reached safely when the ball was misplayed.
One out later, Mealey lined a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left-center field to give the Miners a commanding lead.
"The key to the game was Emily Mealey's three-run home run,'' Homa said. "That took away a lot of what Pottsville could do and put it out of reach.''
Rinaldo agreed.
"The home run ball ... it was all downhill from there,'' he said. "It was going to be tough to come back against a really good team like Minersville, that's for sure.''
Morgan Alisauckas had the only hit for Pottsville, a seventh-inning double. She walked and lined out in her other plate appearances.
That was the extent of the Tide's offense as Pottsville (5-3) has been shut out in all three of its losses (Daniel Boone, Hamburg, Minersville).
Despite the setback, the Tide enter this week 4-0 in Division I of the Schuylkill League. They visit Tamaqua (5-2, 3-0) in a first-place showdown Monday afternoon.
"I'm looking for some answers,'' Rinaldo said. "Twelve strikeouts? I can't figure it out. ... We rip (the ball) in practice and then we get into a game and we can't get it all together.
"We've got to look at the big picture,'' he added. "I told the kids that the sun's going to come out tomorrow. We have to practice and get ready for Tamaqua.''