The Mascenic softball team soared to a 7-0 shutout win over regional and interdivisional rival Conant thanks to a dazzling performance on both sides of the ball from senior pitcher Katalina Davis.

“When Kat’s on, they’re not hitting, so she was super-confident,” Mascenic head coach Tim St. John said after the game. “She was putting them in the zone – and then her hitting speaks for itself, right?”

Davis pitched seven shutout innings, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out 10. At the plate, the senior put the Vikings up big early with an absolute bomb of a first-inning three-run homer.

“We had two people on base,” St. John said. “She crushed that thing and we didn’t even think about it; we just sent them home. It was out of here probably 20 feet, right out. First pitch too, it was awesome to see.”

That was all the Vikings needed to dispatch the visiting Orioles, who came into the game short three starters, as Conant’s school trip to the Dominican Republic began Thursday evening. Their absence meant plenty of lineup changes for first-year head coach Ted Bergeron, but depleted roster or not, Bergeron wanted a win.

“No excuses,” Bergeron said. “The 10 that were here had to perform, and we didn’t.”

Conant’s bright spot on the day belonged to senior pitcher Graecen Kirby, who reached career strikeout No. 400 in the fourth inning. Kirby finished with nine strikeouts in five innings of work.

“She is a good pitcher,” St. John said. “She pitched a good game. She saw that outside opening there. She was getting that river and she was putting it there, so I have to give it to her for that. She did well.”

The Orioles got two hits apiece from catcher Violet Bennett, third baseman Francesca Ketola and left fielder Eliza Malia, but couldn’t scrape across any runs. Bergeron said he’ll have his players work on their hitting over the next week before returning to action with a full roster Friday at Stevens. Conant is just 1-3 to start the season and already considering themselves on the playoff bubble with a long road ahead. Currently, the Orioles are 13th in Division III.

“As a team, we’ve discussed that it’s going to take .500 or better to get a home game, and right now we’re not even in the playoffs, so hopefully we’ll get there,” Bergeron said.

Aside from Davis, the Vikings got big hits from center fielder Delaney Traffie, who went 3-3 with a two-run double, and Val Stenersen, who hit a double of her own. Catcher Ella Pearson was held hitless, but showed off her arm once again, throwing out two Conant baserunners to continue her dominance behind the plate.

“Ella Pearson has thrown out everybody by at least six feet this year,” St. John said.

The Vikings also benefit from the emergence of freshman shortstop Kiahna Ferry, a speed demon who is solid in the field and has already showed off a big bat with an extra-innings walkoff homer against Epping.

“I think you’ll be seeing a lot from her by the end of the season,” St. John said.

Mascenic is 3-2 to start the season, good for ninth in Division IV after a couple close losses to Newmarket and undefeated Portsmouth Christian. The Vikings are a small-ball, fast-baserunning team, and St. John said he thinks the girls can at least match last year’s 14-4 record.

“We’re trying to be aggressive this year,” St. John said. “Steal some bases, working on our delayed steals. I think we’re going to be a push, push, push, go, go, go team.”

Mascenic is next in action Friday at home against Hinsdale.