MORGANTOWN—No matter the outcome of the softball game between Morgantown and Preston on Tuesday evening, every single player, coach, parent, fan, support staff member, and even the media left ISS Field at Mylan Park feeling like a winner.
That’s because the Mohigans and Knights were playing the game they love for something greater than simply winning a softball game. They were playing the game in support of pediatric cancer, more specifically, MHS alum and former softball player Elise Lupo, who was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (a form of bone cancer) in August.
Morgantown presented a check with a donation of $2,500 to WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital in honor of their friend and former teammate.
Lupo fought her fight for eight grueling months before being determined cancer-free and earning her opportunity to ring the bell at WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital on Monday, April 28, the day before the game between MHS and PHS.
MHS (18-8) won the weather-delayed contest 10-2, but at the end of the night, no one looked at the outcome, as even the losing team could feel the sense of winning in their support of the cause.
“Like I told our girls before the game today, there are things bigger in life than the game of softball,” MHS head coach Lorri Lipscomb said. “This gives us a platform to support a great cause while we play the sport we love. Nearly everyone on earth has been touched by cancer in some way in their personal lives, and for these young ladies to have a teammate who’s closer to their age go through this, I think it really shows them a bigger picture of life. It was an emotional night for Preston and us. You could see how much they cared about playing in this game.”
Elise’s Mother, Anne Lupo, spoke to The Dominion Post on behalf of her daughter.
“We are really fortunate that we live in Morgantown and have the Children’s Hospital; the care we have received has been fantastic,” Anne said. “We’ve created relationships with people that will last forever. For these girls to come together and give back in Elise’s name is extremely meaningful, and I know it was a surprise for Elise, so that was very moving for her. She graduated from Morgantown in May 2024, and since her diagnosis in August, MHS has been so supportive of our family with cards, messages, visitors, and meals. Elise’s younger sister is in school there now. The support from the school, not only the softball program, has been tremendous.”
The Knights (5-14) tallied the first run of the game in the top of the first inning with a two-out single by Rhylinn Sanders that brought Camdyn Metheny home from second.
MHS fell behind before it could step to the plate and didn’t continue trailing for long, scoring three runs in the bottom half. Maddie Wisman and Kira Smith each hit doubles to drive in the trio of runs for the Mohigans, and they wouldn’t surrender the lead for the rest of the game.
Six runs in the bottom of the fifth gave MHS a 10-2 mercy-rule victory over the Knights.
BOX SCORE
Morgantown 10, Preston 2
PHS 101 00X X – 2 6 1
MHS 300 16X X – 10 10 1
Preston (5-14) – Thistlethwaite 3000 Metheny 3100 Wotring 3110 Price 3031 Sanders 3011 Teets 2010 Zinn 2000 Miller 2000 Rouzee 1000
2B: Price, Wotring
Morgantown (18-8) – A. Robinson 2101 G. Robinson 3111 Alsop 3110 Wisman 2212 Rhodes 2110 Smith 3134 B. Robinson 3100 Street 3111 Stone 2120
2B: G. Robinson, Smith, Stone, Wisman
HR: Smith
(W) Street: 5.0ip 6h 2r 1bb 5k
(L) West: 4.2ip 10h 10r 4bb 0k
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