“But I just let it fuel me,” said the Warren senior, who struck out 18 batters in a 5-0 one-hit shutout of General McLane at Mercyhurst Softball Field.

The Lady Dragons jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead on two hits and two walks. Alexis Jones’ double made it 2-0 and the third run scored on Peyton Hagg’s fielder’s choice.

Stuart wouldn’t need much more.

After McLane’s leadoff hitter reached on an error to start the game, she was called out at the plate trying to advance when a pitch got by the catcher.

Warren senior pitcher Alana Stuart struck out 18 and allowed one hit on Wednesday in a win over General McLane at Mercyhurst Softball Field. File photo by Mark Evans

Stuart didn’t allow a runner to reach third base the rest of the game. She didn’t allow her first hit until two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. She walked three batters and her final 11 outs came via strikeout. She K’d 18 of the 26 batters she faced.

“It was definitely a surreal night getting the chance to play on my future home field,” she said. “As the game kept going on, I kept thinking in the back of my head that I get the opportunity to do what I’m doing right then in that same moment next year. I don’t really think it has sunk completely in for me yet, but I bet (Thursday) morning it will hit me. There were a bit of nerves just because I knew some of my future teammates or coaches could be watching that game, but I just let it fuel me and used it to my advantage. I’m not completely positive if i’ve ever struck out 18 before, but I’m sure somewhere throughout all these years, I have. Even though we came out of that game with the win, it wasn’t how we expected to win that game. For it being that close, I knew I had to really lock in and get the job done on the mound to make up for what our bats should have been doing tonight.”

Warren’s softball team is right back at it at 4 p.m. today against Fort LeBoeuf at Lady Dragons Field.

“I’m happy for these girls and where we stand right now,” said Warren coach Carissa Stuart, whose Dragons are 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Region 6. “We’re still learning things we need to work on and clean up. This game shouldn’t have been this close. Alexis’s bat has come alive the last few games. She’s been hitting the ball hard. The hit of the game goes to Sydney Barr, who entered into the game hitting with two outs and, with two strikes, she hit a hard grounder over the third-base bag for an RBI (and 5-0 Warren lead). We needed that hit, and she came through.

“Alana pitched very well,” said Coach Stuart. “We’re trying to limit her pitching with cancellations starting to stack up. She absolutely took care of business tonight.”

Jones and Stuart had two hits apiece for Warren, and Barr and Emma Gray had the other two. Emily Davidson and Tori Solberg walked twice each for the Dragons.

General McLane is 0-4 overall and 0-3 in the region.