Pleasant Valley pitcher Kailyn Getz remembers when she had control problems.

So the Bears’ top hurler was rather sympathetic when Friday’s opponent, Central Catholic, couldn’t find the strike zone.

PV received a staggering 19 free passes against the Vikings to “walk” away with a 15-0 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference victory.

“It’s tough, because I used to be in that position when I was a little bit younger,” said Getz, who tossed two shutout innings and struck out four to record the win. “But really all we have to do is just try and get some hits and go the way the game’s going.”

Both teams loaded the bases in the opening inning, but failed to score.

The second inning would be a different story.

The Bears walked seven times with the bases full, forcing in runs during an 11-run frame. PV did have two hits in the inning, both by Getz, with her second being a three-run triple.

“Pitch selection in these games is really tough, but you just have to swing at one that really looks good to you,” said Getz, who was 3-for-3 at the plate. “On the triple, I really didn’t expect to make it to third base. I was supposed to stay at second.

“You’ve got to make it interesting sometimes,” she said with a laugh.

The inability to find the plate by the Vikettes pitching, however, wasn’t a laughing matter.

“From a coaching perspective, it’s hard to see,” said Pleasant Valley first-year mentor Michelle Albanese. “We played against Liberty, and we struggled. So we’ve been in their shoes, too. It’s definitely hard to see another team struggle like that.

“Kailyn had that bases-clearing triple, which was nice. We’ve struggled hitting lately, and it’s definitely been our downfall in the games we’ve lost. We haven’t been able to get people around, as you saw today (in the first inning) ... We’re working on it. We’re hoping this (upcoming) week, having a few home games finally, will turn things around.”

Up 11-0, Albanese turned to the team’s other pitcher — Maddie Abbatiello — to toss the third. Despite a couple walks, Abbatiello tossed a scoreless frame.

That set the stage for the home third, when the Bears pushed across four more runs — one on Abbatiello’s fielder’s choice ground out, and the others on walks — to end the game.

The up-and-down season so far (PV has rotated wins and losses over its past five contests) left the Bears on an upswing again.

“We’re 4-3, just over .500 so that’s always a plus,” said Albanese. “We’d like to have more wins under our belts, and hopefully in the next couple of weeks we’ll get some additional wins. EPCs and districts is always a goal for most varsity teams in the league.

“We’re in a different district bracket, so it would be nice to see different competition. I’m hoping we have a strong team, and hoping we get the bats going and put it all together.”

PV’s pitcher echoed the thought.

“We’re doing pretty good so far, and it’s still the beginning of the season,” said Getz. “We have to get in our groove. We’ve had some tough games, but that’s softball. We’re looking forward to getting in the EPC (playoffs) like we did last year. That could be a good thing, and we definitely want to make districts. We just have to come together as a team, and we can make that happen.”

EARLY JAM ... Getz faced a bases-loaded, no out jam in the first, allowing two hits and a walk, but got out of trouble with a foul pop-up, a strikeout and a comebacker. “I really didn’t expect for me to get the bases loaded,” said Getz. “I just really had to get in my rhythm a bit and find my way out of it. I needed to find my release point, and just get my mechanics down.” Having experience helped her get out of the situation. “Kailyn is a strong pitcher,” added Albanese. “She keeps her head level. She’s definitely able to pull herself out of a few jams this season, so it’s nice to have a strong pitcher out there.”

WEB GEM ... Pleasant Valley second baseman Jovie Valenzuela ranged to her left to snare a line drive and take a hit away from Central’s Kairi Charles in the third inning.

FLYING BY ... The game was PV’s seventh of the season already, leaving just 13 more before the calendar hits April.

Central Cath. 0 0 0 - 0 2 2

Pleasant Vy. 0(11)4 - 15 3 0

Dalrymple, Lewis (2) and Charles; Getz, Abbatiello (3) and Frable. W - Getz. L - Dalrymple.

Records: Central Catholic (1-5); Pleasant Valley (4-3).