Keystone captures 28th sectional title in past 29 seasons
SECTIONAL SOFTBALL: KEYSTONE 9 BUCKEYE 0
Bob Daniels
The Chronicle-Telegram
MALLET CREEK — Keystone’s softball team won its 28th sectional championship Thursday in the 29th season the sport has been sanctioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The Wildcats did it with a 9-0 rout of Buckeye and a 17-strikeout two-hitter by senior Kristie Malinkey, their undefeated right-hander. Malinkey earned her 20th victory of the year and came within one out of her fourth perfect game of the season.
Keystone, the state’s top-ranked team in Division II, got a four-hit performance from freshman Kara Dill and fence-clearing home runs by senior Jessica Burt and junior Sarah Stromack.
Burt’s was a first-pitch blast with Megan Coyne on first in the sixth inning that everyone knew was gone when it left her bat. She also had two singles.
“It was a fastball down the middle and maybe it was a little high,” Burt said of the pitch she drilled out of the yard. “I was really loose taking my warm-up swings and went for the first pitch because they had all been strikes before.”
Stromack also unloaded on a first-pitch fastball leading off the fourth, although she thought for a moment the ball had been caught.
“When I got to first I stopped because I thought she caught it,” Stromack said of Bucks center fielder Holly Miller, who drifted back to the fence on the play. “But the umpire (signaled home run) and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s out.’ The pitch was a little outside so I went to center with it.”
Keystone (26-2) advances to a Spencer district semifinal next Thursday against either second-seeded Holy Name or Bay, who met in another sectional final Wednesday. The district is being played this year on the Wildcats’ home field at LaGrange Community Park because of a scheduling conflict at Firestone Park in Spencer. Keystone has won 18 district championships.
“Now is the time when these kids understand there is no tomorrow when you lose a tournament game and I think this is the most energy we’ve come to a game with this year,” Keystone coach Jim Piazza said. “I think they’re really starting to hit the ball, really starting to see it. They’ve been waiting for this time of the season.”
Dill, Keystone’s slap-hitting second baseman, beat out a chopper to shortstop on the first pitch of the game and scored the first run on a wild pitch with Burt at bat. Malinkey, followed Dill with a walk and also scored when Buckeye catcher Vicky Shaw threw the ball into left field trying to nail Malinkey steaming into third.
Courtney Phillips, running for Erica Reid in the second, scored on a wild pitch and Taylor Bell, who walked with two out, made it a 4-0 Keystone lead when Dill followed with her second high chopper to the left side.
Dill, originally a right-handed batter, has turned lefty.
“A couple years ago, my dad had me try batting from the left side, because while we were traveling we saw some other teams (slap-hitting),” she said. “And I like watching Ichiro (Suzuki).”
The Wildcats added three runs in the fourth. Jessica Nacarato — who reached on an error after Stromack’s homer — and Dill, who was on with another slapped infield single, both scored in the confusion created by Malinkey’s bunt single. Burt ended the scoring with her homer in the sixth.
Malinkey struck out the first seven batters she faced. She struck out the side in the sixth and had two strikeouts in the third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. She threw just 75 pitches — only 10 of them balls — and didn’t allow a runner until Shaw singled sharply to left with two out in the seventh. Carrie Stanek followed with a double to the fence in right field, but Malinkey ended the game with her 17th strikeout.
“You know, they’re good hitters and I gave them good pitches to hit,” Malinkey said. “My changeup was working today and my screwball. Also my riseball and they were chasing high pitches. And my defense did an amazing job of backing me up and I really appreciate it.”
The Wildcats have failed to win a sectional crown just once in the history of the program, in 2000 when they were upset by Medina Highland. It was the season after they won their only state softball championship.