When it comes to pitching -- be it softball or baseball -- the most endearing descriptions of a pitcher's success come in the form of cliches.
If you're really good, you're an ‘innings eater', a ‘workhorse' or you have a ‘rubber arm'.
Good thing for the Troy softball team, junior Liz Wiegand could be aptly described by any of the three terms during its Class 4 state championship run.
She compiled a 21-3 record and a 1.00 earned run average in 161 innings.
"Liz has worked so hard to get to this point, way before she ever got to this program," Troy coach Lance Richardson said. "She just loves it so much. She pitches all the time. I don't think she takes any time off and it has paid off."
The big payoff for Wiegand came this past weekend at the Killian Sports Complex in Springfield.
She won two games for Troy (29-4, No. 5 in the STLhighschoolsports.com large-schools rankings) to help the team capture the title.
In a 9-5 semifinal win over Eureka on Friday, Wiegand gave up just two runs on three hits prior to a three-run seventh inning home run that proved meaningless.
While Wiegand kept Eureka off balance, she said it was the work of her teammates that was truly important.
"Having my team behind me cheering me on was awesome," Wiegand said. "They really worked so hard on the offense. It was great."
Wiegand, who has verbally committed to the University of Tennessee-Martin, then went out and gave up just one run on seven hits, while striking out five and walking one in the 4-1 win over Blue Springs to bring home the title.
Wiegand said she was excited to be a part of the first softball state title for the program.
"It is just indescribable how happy I am that we made it this far," Wiegand said. "This is just great."
Wiegand and her team worked together to face down a rough patch in the final.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Blue Springs loaded the bases with none out.
After a bloop single scored one run, Wiegand induced two groundout force plays at home and then a grounder to shortstop Emily Crane to end the inning.
"I just told myself to calm down," Wiegand said. "I knew my defense had (my back). Even if they did score (more), I knew my offense would (pick me up)."
One person who had total faith in his team, and in Wiegand by extension, during the hairy situation was Richardson.
He said the junior has gotten his team out of situations just like this before.
Richardson also felt the pitcher would not falter, even on the state's grandest stage, and she didn't.
"She can throw any pitch she has in any count and in any location," Richardson said. "She's always out there, throwing, throwing, throwing. Her (command) comes from that."
Wiegand said even though a state championship run was great, a repeat performance, while not easy, would be even better.
"I definitely want to come back here and do the same thing," Wiegand said. "It will (take hard work)."
