Person head softball coach Mike Shotwell made the comment that “just like McDonald’s he was loving it” after his team defeated Piedmont Athletic Conference rival Riverside, 8-1, on Tuesday at the Person High School Field.

The coach certainly had a few good reasons for feeling upbeat.

The Rockets had pulled into a deadlock with the previously unbeaten Pirates for first place in the conference (both teams are 3-1), ace Brittany Shotwell was her vintage self with 18 strikeouts (no walks and a near no-hitter), and his team was aggressive at the plate and on the bases.

“[Riverside] made some mistakes that helped us today, but we made our own breaks too,” Coach Shotwell said. “We were aggressive on the bases, and I can’t say enough about Tracey [Vaughan]. She really came up big for us.”

True enough, Vaughan was called up from the junior varsity team and started at shortstop in place of Meghan Lay, who was unable to start the game because of an outside commitment.

Vaughan more than made her presence felt by going 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

The pitching of Brittany Shotwell, now 3-1 on the season, was also a huge story, as the Rocket lefty fanned 12 consecutive hitters after the first Riverside batter of the game reached base on an error.

Shotwell’s broken finger on her pitching hand doesn’t appear to be hindering her, as she had a no-hitter going through six innings before Morgan Robinson spoiled the potential celebration with a leadoff triple in the seventh.

The shutout would also go by the board when a groundout by Amanda Rothwell scored Robinson for the Pirates’ only tally.

“She says she’s not feeling any pain, so I guess she’s picked up enough feeling in her other four fingers,’ said Coach Shotwell of his ace’s status. “She’s obviously doing something right.”

An unearned run gave Person a 1-0 lead after two frames, but it was the fourth and fifth innings where the major damage occurred.

Carrie Albert and Vaughan singled in the fourth and eventually scored on a two-run double by Jennifer Bowen to increase the lead to 3-0.

Five more runs would cross the plate in the fifth to break it open. With one out, Jordan Rhew slapped a double to left field. Shotwell and Albert were both hit by a pitch and Chelsea Wrenn singled to score one run, and another came home on an error.

Three Riverside errors played a role in the Person fifth-inning rally, which ended with a Melissa Harris ground out that drove in the Rockets’ eighth and final run.

Riverside starter and loser Christie Thomas didn’t have her best day.

In fact, it got off to traumatic beginning for Thomas when she was threatened with an ejection by the home plate umpire for what he called her “antics” early in the game.

Thomas allowed eight hits, walked three, and fanned seven in the game.

“In her defense, she was sick and didn’t practice [the day before],” said Coach Shotwell of the opposing pitcher. “I don’t think she was 100 percent, but we’ll take the win.”

The win upped Person’s overall record to 4-3, while Riverside dropped to 7-1 overall.

The two teams will hook up again on April 25 at Riverside.

In the meantime, Person travels for a rematch with Halifax, which beat the Rockets 11-4 earlier in the year, on Friday.

Person has won three of its last four games.