SHENANDOAH - Marian’s softball team moved one step closer to clinching another Schuylkill League divisional championship on Tuesday.

Riding the steady pitching of Morgan Kelly, and getting enough run support to hold off a steadily improving Shenandoah Valley squad, the Fillies all but assured themselves of a berth in the upcoming Schuylkill League playoffs with a 5-1 victory.

Kelly - like many times this season - was once again the storyline. She was dominating at times, throwing a four-hitter and striking out 14 Blue Devils. The win improves Marian’s record to 7-3 in the league - and with three games to play - needs just one more victory to clinch the Division 3 title.

“I knew it was going to be a tough ball game, and I wanted (us) to get on top of them (early),” Marian head coach Joe DeAngelo said. “Tracey Gallagher gave us the big hit, and Morgan Kelly led us the rest of the way.”

Both Marian players were key factors in scoring all of the runs in the first three innings. Gallagher’s two-out single in the first drove in Jackie Guth, who singled to open the game, and Alise Heisey, who had walked, for the early 2-0 advantage.

A feisty Shenandoah Valley squad answered with its only run in the home first. There were two outs when Hailey Sosna reached on an error, and sweet-swinging sophomore Hannah DeAngelo delivered an RBI single to left center to cut the deficit in half.

The third-inning, however, proved to be the separation between the two teams.

Marian mounted a three-run rally to give the very efficient Kelly more than enough support, though she had to wiggle out of a jam during the home half of the third.

As for the Fillies rally, Heisey lit the fuse with a single, while Kelly hustled her way to first on an infield hit. Both runners advanced on a one-out ground out by Eden Fleming, and a passed ball allowed Heisey to score. Julia Meiss drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, and the final Marian run came across when Anna Grabosky registered an infield single to push the Fillies in front, 5-1.

Shenandoah Valley brewed up a storm in its half of the third. There was one out when Alexa Menjivar and DeAngelo singled, putting runners at second and third.

However, Kelly was up to the challenge, as she struck out the next batter and fielded a pop up to end the threat.

While Shenandoah didn’t threaten after that, its head coach wasn’t upset with the effort.

“I’ll tell you, our kids battled,” said SV first-year mentor Joe Michalik. “They beat us (10-0) the first time we faced them. You can see the difference in our team from that first game.”

AT THE PLATE … The Fillies swatted out six hits - all singles. Those hits came from Guth, Heisey, Gallagher, Grabosky, Kelly and Katie Barron. The Devils had three hits - all singles - from Sosna, Menjivar and DeAngelo.

BY THE NUMBERS … Kelly tossed 113 pitches, with 79 for strikes. Losing pitcher Abby Davis had a strong outing, allowing just six hits. She struck out four and walked five, while throwing 114 pitches - 69 in the zone.

Marian 203 000 0 - 5 6 2

Shen. Vy. 100 000 0 - 1 3 1

Kelly and Grabosky; Davis and Coyle. W - Kelly. L - Davis.