Everything worked well for the Newburgh Free Academy softball team.

Alina Ferguson pitched well, striking out 12 in a two-hit effort, and the offense battered two Beacon pitchers in a 17-0 victory on April 4 at Beacon High School.

Ferguson struck out the first 10 Bulldogs she faced, and by the time Beacon’s Mikayla Sheehan put the ball in the play, the Goldbacks had an 11-run lead.

“She did a phenomenal job on the mound,” Newburgh coach Chris Leggett said. “She’s going to have a really good season this year with it now being her third year on varsity.”

Ferguson said her movement pitches were working well against the Beacon batters, but she was unaware of her streak while it was happening. She struck out the first 10 batters until Sheehan dumped a blooper in front of center fielder Parker Mullarkey with one out in the fourth inning.

“When I’m pitching in a game, I just forget everything around me, and I just really focus on what I’m throwing,” Ferguson said.

It was the only time the Bulldogs threatened to score as Sheehan stole second base and went to third base when catcher Melissa Schulze’s throw went into center field. However, Ferguson followed by striking out Ivy Cancel-Dickens for strike out No. 11.

Ferguson was involved in all 15 outs. In addition to the 12 strikeouts, she assisted on the three groundouts.

While Ferguson was shutting down the Bulldogs, the offense was taking the pressure off her as they teed off on Sheehan, who only lasted 1 1/3 innings, allowing eight of the Goldbacks’ 17 runs. Bella White went the rest of the way and was tagged for the remaining nine.

“It really helped as a pitcher having that leverage, and to have the lead was very calming,” Ferguson said. “I didn’t have to worry about anything.”

Meanwhile, the Goldbacks gave the Bulldogs plenty to worry about, as they put the game out of reach in the second inning, taking advantage of Sheehan’s wildness, drawing five walks.

After Taryn Judson walked to open the inning, Mullarkey chased her home with a triple to left field. Liana Shaw followed with an RBI double. Then with the bases loaded, Marissa Scarano drew a bases loaded walk, and Ferguson followed with a sacrifice fly. Another walk reloaded the bases and chased Sheehan out of the pitcher’s circle.

Then came Bella White, who struck out Judson, but then loaded the bases by walking Mullarkey. Shaw followed with a two-run single and Samantha Williams hit a two-run double to finish off the 10-run inning.

Schulze drove in a run in the fourth inning base hit, and the Goldbacks added six more runs in the fifth inning, capped off by Ferguson’s two-run single. Mullarkey drove in her third run of the game in the inning, Williams drove in her third on a fielder’s choice and Peyton Ingram drove in a run with a single.

“It was a little different pitching than what we faced last week in Cornwall,” Leggett said. “But we were staying disciplined at the plate and there were not too many swings out of the strike zone.”

The Goldbacks were scheduled to finish the week with a 14-9 road win over the Pine Bush Bushmen.

“I think we have an amazing team,” Ferguson said. “The camaraderie of the team is really good, and everyone gets along. It’s going to be a good season.”