JG's Marshall wants to be even better in 2023

NEW CONCORD — Sydney Marshall wants to be even better this year, which is saying something.

John Glenn's ace junior pitcher, coming off an All-Ohio season in which she had a 1.41 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings, is one of the few players statewide capable of beating teams with her arm and bat with equal aptitude.

That was certainly on full display during a 10-0 mercy against visiting Morgan on Thursday, a win that took just five innings to complete. Marshall didn't just toss a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts, but she also clubbed a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was another notch in a belt that already has plenty in a sterling career to date.

It kept the veteran Muskies (5-1), with six starters back from a regional final squad in 2022, on pace during the early stages of Muskingum Valley League-Big School Division play.

Blair Clawson had the lone hit for the Raiders, a one-out single in the first inning.

"It felt good to finally throw a full game again," Marshall said. "I just came off a back injury, which is why I haven't thrown the last couple of games. It felt good to be back."

Marshall figured to get a head-to-head duel against Raiders ace Malayni Clemens, but instead drew Myka Augenstein after the former threw more than 100 pitches while striking out 16 on Wednesday in a win against West Muskingum.

It proved a mismatch, as Marshall allowed only two base runners — none after the second inning. When Hannah Bendle's two-out RBI double sent the Muskies up 3-0, momentum had clearly tilted.

That continued into the next two innings, as Maddie Winland and Ryann Snider had two-run singles in a five-run third to put the game out of reach. Both hits came with two outs, and set up by two Morgan errors.

The rest was up to Marshall, whose riseball proved difficult for the Raiders (4-2 MVL-Small) to solve. She retired the last 10 hitters she faced and struck out nine of the last 11 batters.

Improving her secondary pitches was paramount to her offseason agenda, she said. Early results are promising, although that figures to be tested even more as the weather warms and lineups start finding their grooves.

"I wanted to get better spin," Marshall said. "I really wanted to utilize by speed and my spin with everything. My last year was not ideal, so it is one thing I worked on in the offseason. There are bunch of different tools you can work on, and really, just over and over again practicing."

More tests are coming soon. Games with Circleville and Williamsport Westfall are on Saturday's docket, with games against Philo, Dover, Heath and Steubenville looming next week. Morgan entered Thursday's game 4-1.

"I've definitely noticed a big difference in the riseball and my curveball with the things that I have done," Marshall said.

First-year head coach Steve Cowgill, an assistant under Randy Larrick the past two seasons, said he has already noticed a difference in Marshall's presence in the circle.

While the results of the improved spin rates can only be truly judged against strong offensive lineups, he's already seen improvement in the mental game.

"Last year, if she got in trouble she was very demonstrative," Cowgill said. "You could tell when things weren't going well, or if she had a bad at-bat, you could tell very easily. This year there is some composure about her and I think that's coming with age. Granted she's only 16 years old and a junior in high school, but composure is a big thing for her. With her abilities, that is next step for her."

Despite the losses of sluggers Abby Buchtel and Brynna Wolford and versatile Sydney Johnson, the offense is already showing that it's still more than Bendle, Marshall and All-Ohio catcher Alivia Boothe.

Snider and Winland, in particular, have come up with timely RBIs in the season's early stages.

"It's only going to make us better," Winland said. "We can't just have a few star players. Everybody in the lineup has to be good."

That was Cowgill's message to them.

"Of the six starters returning, three of them — Bendle, Boothe and Marshall — you know what you are going to get out of them," Cowgill said. "The other three, they have to contribute not necessarily as much as, but they have to boost their contributions to this team defensively and offensively as Buchtel, Wolford and Sydney Johnson did for us last year. They can't replace them, but they have to up it for us to have success."

Marshall is confident this group can be better, despite the graduation losses.

"We can if we come out and hit like we need to and play defense when we need to," Marshall said.

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: John Glenn ace Sydney Marshall wants to be even better in 2023