After pitching 22 scoreless innings in a span of two days, Shelby Babcock finally got a run from her Legacy softball teammates.

Pitching a 23rd run-free inning was no problem for the sophomore.

After the fourth-ranked Lightning scored in the bottom of the sixth inning Tuesday, Babcock capped a magnificent season- opening stretch by shutting out No. 6 Mountain Vista in the seventh to seal a 1-0 home win in a Class 5A nonleague game.

The one-hit, 13-strikeout performance occurred one day after Babcock pitched 16 shutout innings against top-ranked Wheat Ridge, only to see the game suspended by darkness with the score tied 0-0. The teams will pick up in the 17th inning later.

"I was very excited to see a run come through," said Babcock, who struck out 19 in the Wheat Ridge game while Farmers pitcher Giana Zimmerman struck out 25.

Babcock's pitching line for the first two games of the season reads: 23 innings, zero runs, 32 strikeouts and one win.

"I'm a little worn out but not too bad," Babcock said. "I'm kind of used to it from summer ball, but a little bit worn out, yeah."

Legacy ended its scoring drought when freshman leadoff hitter Melissa Marcovecchio led off the sixth with a double down the line, then was sacrificed to third by Shay Rodriguez. Mountain Vista pitcher Kelly Unkrich fielded Rodriguez's bunt, then hesitated before throwing late to third and Rodriguez was safe at first.

Before another pitch was thrown, Rodriguez got in a rundown and Marcovecchio darted home from third.

"Coach 'Gaff' helped me out a lot," said Marcovecchio, referring to Legacy coach Dawn Gaffin. "As soon as (third baseman Cam Smallwood) threw it and the throw looked high, I took off."

Mountain Vista, playing its opener, received four walks from Babcock but only managed the one hit, a single by Unkrich in the third.

Unkrich allowed four hits - two by Marcovecchio - and struck out six in a complete-game performance.

"We're a little young, a little inexperienced, and I think we showed it," Mountain Vista coach Brett Grammerstorf said. "But Legacy is well-coached and obviously Shelby is a great pitcher. . . . But we showed some promise."

Mountain Vista......000	000	0	-	0	1	0
Legacy......000	001	x	-	1	4	0

M (ab-r-h-rbi) - Michelle Piñeda cf 3-0-0-0, Mallory Mang ss 2-0-0-0, Cedar Blazek 1b 2-0-0-0, Marina Long lf 3-0-0-0, Cam Smallwood 3b 2-0-0-0, Lauren Watson rf 2-0-0-0, Randi Applehans c 3-0-0-0, Kelly Unkrich p 3-0-1-0, Hannah Antista 1-0-0-0. Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) - Unkrich (L 0-1) 6-4-1-1-1-6.

L - Melissa Marcovecchio cf 3-1-2-0, Shay Rodriguez lf 2-0-0-0, Cassie Long 3b 2-0-0-0, Breanna Mathews ss 3-0-1-0, Kassidy Apodaca c 3-0-0-0, Kellen Wittkop 1b 2-0-1-0, Shelby Babcock p 2-0-0-0, Bugs Torrez 2b 2-0-0-0, Kristen Stimmler dh 2-0-0-0, Jessica Vermillion rf 0-0-0-0. Pitching - Babcock (W 1-0) 7-1-0-0-4-13.

LOB - Mountain Vista 5, Legacy 4. 2B - Marcovecchio. SB - Antista, Marcovecchio. SAC - Watson, Rodriguez.

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