TRENTON — It’s not that Edgewood senior pitcher Emilee Pigg enjoys full counts, but it is the way of the junk-baller.

Pigg pushed the limit to 10 batters Friday night in a crucial showdown with Talawanda to determine who would remain in a deadlock with Harrison at the top of the Fort Ancient Valley Conference West Division.

Piggs’ spins kept the Braves off-balance as she scattered six walks and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning en route to a 12-strikeout, three-hit performance in an 8-3 Cougars’ win.

“Every batter I seem to take to 3-2,” Pigg said after the Cougars improved to 9-4 overall and remained tied with Harrison for the league lead with a 7-1 mark.

“It’s not a nerves thing, I throw a lot of junk and I’m trying to get them to swing at something they can’t hit. I think this game was the one for us... this game determined the league for us.”

The Cougars came out swinging, putting a run on the board in the first before hanging three on Talawanda in the second on two hits and a pair of errors.

Talawanda scored twice on no hits in the third, but the Cougars answered with four runs in the fourth to break the game open.

Senior Jen Prushing led off the Cougar fourth with a single before Amber Watson walked and Brittany Banks plated Prushing with a single.

Watson and Banks scored on a single by Taylor Berry and a double by Bree Williams to push the lead to 8-2.

“She (Talawanda pitcher Caitlyn Calhoun) is a great pitcher, our offense just happens to be able to hit great pitchers,” Edgewood coach Wayne Asher said.

“When you jump out to a lead like that, you are able to manage the game better because you are relaxed, you are not up there with the bat tight in your hands.”

The Braves had chances in the fifth, sixth and seventh, putting runners in scoring position with less than two outs, but each time Pigg answered with strikeouts.

Pigg struck out three in the fifth after the Braves put runners on second and third and also ended the game with a strikeout.

It was the Cougars second straight win over the Braves, who fell to 8-2, 6-2 with a big two-game series with Harrison looming Monday and Wednesday.

“We went 8-0 to start the season and we are ready to get back on that streak,” Talawanda coach Christina Beckett said.

“We have the drive to go out and get Harrison. We are going to keep going forward and not look back. I am so optimistic (about the rest of the season). We are keeping our heads up.”