Neshoba Central’s Elleigh Willis gets back to second base safely against Philadelphia’s NDrah Tanksley Tuesday night.

PHILADELPHIA — When Aspen Wesley trotted to the circle at the top of the seventh inning to toss a handful of warm-up pitches, it might as well had been the top of the first. 

The audible thud her warm-up pitches made when colliding with her catcher’s glove suggested the Lady Rockets’ hurler could have easily pitched several more innings. 

Wesley began the top of the seventh with a groundout and a strikeout, and with Philadelphia’s Kamryn Moore’s groundout to pitcher for the final out, Wesley put the finishing touches on a 17-strikeout, no-hit performance.

Neshoba Central defeated Philadelphia 5-0 at home Tuesday night to move to 18-0 this season. 

“When you have Aspen, you know going into the game that you have a chance,” Neshoba Central coach Trae Embry said. “This year, she’s been outstanding on the mound. She works really hard, and offensively, she’s helping carry us right now.”

Wesley, a Mississippi State commit, needed just 74 pitches to earn the win. She accumulated 12 strikeouts through the first four innings and faced no more than four Philadelphia batters in a frame. She yielded just one walk. 

Widely regarded as the state’s premier arm, Wesley, a junior, said there are no special routines or superstitions she adheres to when preparing for games. Rather, the support and camaraderie of her teammates are what fuels her in the circle. 

“I just try not to think about it,” she said. “I try not to get so nervous, and say, ‘This is a game — my team is going to back me up.’ I just have to do my part, and of course, they’re going to do their part — all of us are.”

Wesley also hit an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to score Makenzie Barnett and give Neshoba Central a 2-0 lead.

“That hit, I was just like, ‘Don’t think about it, just swing and go with it,’” Wesley said. 

Tenly Grisham went 2-for-3 with two runs and scored the Lady Rockets’ first run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning.

Alex Bowen’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth plated Sindle Williams and gave Neshoba Central a 3-0 lead.

Tori Henderson smacked a two-RBI single to center field in the bottom of the sixth to score Grisham and Rivers Gray. 

“We were able to come up with a couple of timely hits,” Embry said. “We only had six hits, but when we have six hits, we’re able to score five runs. So, just hitting with people on base. We got a few bunts down. Makenzie had a huge bunt to move the runners up to second and third, and Tori comes up with the big hit. So, hopefully, we can keep doing that.”

Philadelphia pitcher Nia Luckett took a tough loss after recording six strikeouts and allowing three earned runs. Neshoba Central got its first hit off Luckett in the bottom of the fourth when Barnett swatted an infield single. 

“You have to give it to Philadelphia,” Embry said. “They have a great, great pitcher on the mound. She moves the ball in and out very well.” 

The Lady Tornadoes moved to 9-3 this season. 

“I thought we responded well,” Philadelphia coach Jordan Flake said. “It’s really the first test we’ve seen. Neshoba, what can you say? Phenomenal pitching, they’re sound on defense… they were focused. I think we had one error, maybe two, and those just come from a lack of focus and new people in new places. But just overall, I felt like we responded to everything that was going on — big-time atmosphere, big game… When we hit the field, we showed that we’re still the same Philadelphia we’ve always been.”