When Monica Glomb pitched varsity softball for Mars, she was legendary.

Her right arm led the Planets to the 2006 WPIAL championship. Her career earned run average was 0.96. She struck out 745 batters in her high career, starting for four years. The distance from the pitching rubber to the plate in Pennsylvania high school softball was moved back because of Glomb and other hard throwers like her.

Once that change occurred, girls softball pitching dominance went away, for the most part.

Now it’s back — courtesy of Lexie Hames.

The Seneca Valley sophomore is not Monica Glomb II. She is Lexie Hames 1.

With a number of games left in her sophomore season, Hames has struck out 311 batters in her high school career. She’s got 191 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched this season and is virtually guaranteed to eclipse 200 strikeouts this season.

Even pitching from a farther distance to the plate, Hames has a realistic shot at surpassing Glomb’s 745 career strikeouts. That would be a phenomenal achievement.

Then again, this girl is simply phenomenal.

Hames struck out 19 in a 1-0 win over Norwin this past week. She fanned 16 while tossing a no-hitter against Butler. She whiffed 18 against Baldwin.

It’s news whenever her strikeout total doesn’t get into the teens in a given game.

Through 12 games, Hames has eight shutouts and has allowed a single run in three other games. The only team to defeat her and the Raiders this season is Hempfield, by a 3-2 count. Those two teams meet again on Wednesday at Seneca Valley.

There should be quite the crowd at that game.

Hames’ earned run average this season is 0.37.

The scary thing is the girl is only a sophomore. She will likely get stronger and will throw harder.

Her pitching is so good that it’s easy to overlook her hitting. Hames hits with power, for a high average and is patient enough at the plate to accept walks when opposing teams opt not to pitch to her.

Following a player of this caliber — for the rest of this season and the next two — will be a lot of fun.

Thrice is nice

Everyone knows the WPIAL is criticized often for some of its decisions, scheduling and strategies. So when it does something right, it should be acknowledged.

Having Class 6A baseball teams play three-game series against each section opponent in the same week definitely got it right.

If a team has one dominant pitcher, it can’t work that hurler’s schedule so he faces one particularly strong section team three times in one season. With teams playing each other three times in four days, both teams have to use three different starting pitchers.

Pitching depth is rewarded — and encouraged.

That’s a good thing.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle