This was a typical Marian-Weatherly softball game — one defined by persistence on both sides.

The team that stayed steady would come out on top.

And on Thursday, that team was Marian.

The Fillies rode the strong pitching of junior Emily Upanavage, who also hit a solo home run and added a single, to secure a 6-0 win over the Wreckers. In the circle, Upanavage — known as “Em” by her teammates — struck out 10 batters, allowed just two hits and looked confident all afternoon.

“My pitches were spot on,” said the right-handed hurler. “But it’s easy to pitch when your teammates play defense behind you, and I thought they played very well.”

That proved true, as Marian also benefited from timely hitting and smart baserunning.

“Overall, this was a nice win for us,” Marian manager Lindsey Reinoehl said. “I thought we ran the bases very well, we were alert and the way Em threw was a very good sign for us.”

Marian scored in its first at-bat when Deanna Pugh walked, stole two bases and raced home on a wild pitch. In the second inning, leadoff hitter Grace Sendatch singled and Pugh was hit by a pitch. After Hailey Treskolasky grounded into a forceout, Marian added another run on back-to-back wild pitches for a 3-0 lead.

“Overall I thought we did a pretty decent job, but if it weren’t for a few wild pitches, we did OK,” Weatherly manager Will Bartel said. “You know (pitcher) Abby Binder did a really good job overall. She missed all of last season with a broken leg, but she is only going to get better.”

The Fillies added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Freshman Kiki Wolfgang led off the fourth with a single, and later scored on Sendatch’s base hit. Marian added an unearned run in the fifth when Treskolasky singled, advanced two bases on an error and scored on a passed ball.

Upanavage capped the scoring with a solo home run in the seventh, driving the ball past the outstretched glove of center fielder Abby Weston, who nearly made a highlight-reel catch.

“I thought (Abby) had a great game, and she tried to make a play on that ball. If she catches it, it sure would have been a fantastic play,” Bartel said.

Weatherly threatened early in its first at-bat when Weston and Liz DiGennaro both reached base and advanced to second and third with two outs. Upanavage ended the threat by striking out two batters. In the third, DiGennaro singled and Rebecca Caldwell walked, but Weatherly could not capitalize.

Raven Biles added a single in the fifth, but Upanavage did not allow another hit.

“We played much better in the field, unlike our loss to Williams Valley when we had so many errors. You have to make plays,” Reinoehl said. “But the way we played behind Em was a good sign ... we can build off this type of win.”

LEATHER IT UP ... Weston made three strong plays on fly balls for the Wreckers, preventing potential Marian rallies. Pugh was equally solid defensively at second base for the Fillies. HITTING AWAY ... Marian recorded six hits, led by Sendatch and Upanavage with two each. Katie Knock and Wolfgang both added singles. For Weatherly, Weston and Biles had one hit each. NICE AND EASY ... The game moved quickly and smoothly for an early-season matchup, played under sunny skies and 73-degree weather.

Marian 102 110 1 - 6 5 1

Weatherly 000 000 0 - 0 2 2

Upanavage and Treskolasky; Binder and DiGennaro. W - Upanavage. L - Binder.

Records: Marian (2-1); Weatherly (1-1).