Mallory Wulf’s no-hitter wraps up the RVC South softball championship for West Liberty

WEST LIBERTY — A no-hitter makes a heck of a nice consolation prize.

So does a league championship.

Mallory Wulf pitched 6 2/3 perfect innings and supported herself with three RBIs, leading Class 3A seventh-ranked West Liberty past 2A No. 5 Durant, 5-0, in a River Valley Conference South Division showdown Tuesday night at West Liberty High School.

“I knew what was up in the seventh inning,” said Wulf, a junior. “I needed to bring my ‘A’ game.”

Give her an A-plus. And very nearly, an A-plus-plus.

“I just wish I hadn’t walked that girl,” she said, referring to a two-out seventh-inning pass to Durant’s Allison Toft.

Wulf wasn’t overpowering — she managed a modest three strikeouts to go with nine fly-outs, eight ground-outs and a line-out — but she was highly effective.

“My changeup is my go-to pitch right now,” Wulf said. “I was really focused. I was letting them hit the ball and letting the defense do the work.”

The defense made all the plays behind her.

“Best defense in the RVC,” Wulf said.

Wulf pitched a no-hitter earlier this season against Wilton. This was very nearly something much more. She retired the first 20 batters she faced.

Then, Toft won a 10-pitch battle, earning a walk.

Wulf regrouped and coaxed Bailey Kraklio into a groundout, and that was that.

The outcome allows West Liberty (18-6 overall, 10-0 RVC South) to win the divisional title outright.

“That was fun,” Comets Coach Trisha Hall said. “Mallory’s changeup was located very well, and she was able to keep them off-balance. If they’re going to keep chasing it, we’re going to keep throwing it.”

As the innings passed and the outs piled up, the Comets knew what was at stake.

“You could hear a buzz among the girls,” Hall said. “They were excited for her.”

  Buy Photo

Added Pearson Hall, a senior and a Drake University signee: “We didn’t say much about it, but we knew she was getting to 19 in a row, 20 in a row ...

“Mallory doesn’t get too excited. She’s good about staying in her shoes.”

Wulf threw 77 pitches (49 strikes). She came back from 3-1 counts twice, and a 3-0 count once.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth. Kiley Collins started a rally with a leadoff single, and scored on Wulf’s double to right.

Liv Garcia was summoned as a courtesy runner, and scored from second on Ady Bell’s sacrifice bunt.

An RBI double by Pearson Hall and a two-run single by Wulf highlighted a three-run fifth, and the 5-0 margin was more than enough.

West Liberty beat Durant (17-12, 7-2) on back-to-back nights; it was 9-2 at Durant on Monday. Wulf picked up both pitching decisions.

“I hit my spots better tonight,” she said. “I looked to my changeup more on the first pitch.”

View Wulf’s final out video on X.

West Liberty 5, Durant 0

At West Liberty

Durant 000 000 0 — 0 0 1

West Liberty 000 230 x — 5 6 0

Isla Petersen and Bailey Kraklio. Mallory Wulf and Jayleen Kivi. W — Wulf (NA). L — Petersen (4-7).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com