SV softball blanks Moon, 11-0, for 3rd straight shutout
JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley standout softball pitcher Lexie Hames came within a whisker of missing her junior season.
Instead, she’s back to making hitters swing and miss at her pitches.
Lexie struck out 11 of the 12 batters she faced while tossing four perfect innings Friday in the Raiders’ 11-0 five-inning home triumph over Moon. She also benefited from a 16-hit attack.
“That’s the biggest difference in our team this year, hitting the ball,” SV coach Marlesse Hames said. “We really struggled in that area last year. It’s been a point of emphasis during the preseason.
“The work has been paying off. I’m excited about the way we’re hitting the ball so far, up and down the lineup.”
She’s also excited about seeing her daughter and top pitcher standing in the circle, delivering pitches.
“Lexie suffered the same type of thumb injury that Pittsburgh Pirate (catcher Endy Rodriguez) had and he’s out for the season,” the coach said. “The difference was his ligament tore completely off the bone and Lexie’s was only partially torn.”
Lexie said she suffered the injury while batting at a Team USA tryout over the winter. She missed six or seven weeks of winter softball as a result.
“That time away from softball actually helped her, I think. Now that the season is here, she’ll be playing through the end of summer. She needed a break.” Coach Hames said.
“I was using a different kind of bat. There was no give to it and my thumb got jammed in there,” Lexie said. “It was hard, missing all of that time, but I know it could have been worse.”
The only Moon (0-1) player to put the ball in play against Lexie was No. 4 hitter Sydney Ray, who grounded weakly to shortstop on a 3-0 pitch. Nine of her 11 strikeouts were swings-and-misses.
Lexie struck out 15 in a season-opening 6-0 win over Quakertown. She did not pitch the second game of the year, as it was later the same day during a southern trip.
“It is a hard way to open the season, facing a pitcher like that,” Moon coach Brooke Wilson said. “She’s a great pitcher and they have a great team. But we wanted to play them.
“We’ll get better facing competition like this.”
Lexie did not pitch the fifth inning. Sophomore Abby Kalkowski struck out two in the fifth, but surrendered a two-out double to left to Abbie Warnagiris. That was Moon’s only base runner all day.
Meanwhile, the Raiders were running around the bases early and often.
All nine players in Seneca Valley’s lineup hit safely. The Raiders pounded out 16 hits in four innings, led by leadoff batter Rylee Kratochvil’s double and two singles. Anna Kalkowski had two hits and three RBI, Bella Gross two hits and two RBI.
Neve Miller, Kylie Shaudt and Abbie Winkle also had two hits each for SV.
“We have a lot of good hitters on the team this year,” Lexie said. “My bat’s been the slowest to come around, but its getting there.”
The Raiders led 4-0 through three innings before putting together a seven-run frame in the fourth, giving them the opportunity to win by the mercy rule. The first five SV batters hit safely in that frame, including a two-run double by Gross and RBI triple by Miller.
“Our girls stayed focused and our bench was active and loud,” Wilson said. “That’s all you can ask from your team in a game like this. They stayed into it.”
The Tigers made the WPIAL 5A playoffs last season for the first time in five years and return five starters from that team.
“We expect to be there again,” Wilson said of the playoffs.
Moon 000 00 — 0 1 3
Seneca Valley 132 7x — 11 16 0
WP: Lexie Games 4IP (11so, 0bb). LP: Kylie Zalin 3IP (0so, 0bb).
Moon (0-1): Abbie Warnagiris 2B.
Seneca Valley (3-0): Rylee Kratochvil 2B 2-1B 2-R, Anna Kalkowski 2B 1B 3-RBI, Lexie Hames 1B, Bella Gross 2B 1B 2-RBI 2-R, Beve Miller 1B 3B RBI 2-R, Kylie Staudt 2-1B 2-R, Abby Kalkowski 1B 2-RBI, Katie Leseman 1B RBI, Addie Winkle 2-1B RBI.
Monday: Seneca Valley at Baldwin
