MCKENNA GREGORY threw a one-hit shutout against American Canyon.

Benicia High’s varsity softball team is scary good these days. Just ask the American Canyon Lady Wolves.

Sophomore pitcher McKenna Gregory threw a one-hit shutout and nine different Lady Panthers scored in a convincing 14-0 victory over visiting American Canyon on Tuesday. It was the home opener for the Lady Panthers, who needed only five innings to destroy American Canyon and grab sole possession of first place in the Solano County Athletic Conference.

“We’re just coming out and playing Benicia softball,” said Lady Panthers manager Kristin Grubbs. “We’re really dialed in right now and playing good softball, and we just want to continue that.”

Benicia improved to 4-0 in the SCAC and is still unbeaten this season at 10-0. The Lady Panthers are now ranked No. 15 in the state and No. 34 in the nation according to MaxPreps.

“We’re blessed to have a great team and we all feed off each other,” Gregory said.

“It makes us want to do even better,” catcher Allie Bullock said of the high ranking and undefeated status. “We work on acing our own game.”

Gregory was acing American Canyon, which came into the game 3-0 in the SCAC and left Benicia extremely humbled. The Lady Wolves (7-6 overall) didn’t get a hit until Adrianna Montoya stroked a two-out single to right in the fourth inning. Gregory didn’t walk a batter, struck out seven and pitched to only three batters over the minimum.

“She kept them off balance and mixed things up,” Grubbs said.

“I threw a lot of rise balls, change-ups and curves,” said Gregory, who improved to 5-0 on the season. “I was making my pitches.”

Gregory – who ordered the wrong-sized home jersey and had to wear former teammate Chanler Powell’s old uniform Tuesday – was also a force at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Brianna Schlattman, Shelby Thompson and Alana Combes each had two hits, and Katie Vretzos scored four runs.

Benicia scored three times in the bottom of the first inning when Gregory doubled home Mallory Barnard and Natashia Wibben and Courtney Bowling followed with an RBI single. Benicia sent 12 batters to the plate in a seven-run second inning. Combes had a single and a double in the inning, and Barnard, Schlattman, Gregory and Annika Johnson each had hits. Seven different Lady Panthers scored during the outburst.

“A reason we’re doing so well is that it’s been a team effort,” Grubbs said. “There are 15 players who are all contributing and they all have the same goals.”

Singles by Thompson, Gregory and Lindsay Zimmer highlighted a four-run third inning.

The Lady Panthers look to make Bethel their next victim Thursday in Benicia.

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