Central Mountain Bats and Defense Support Stellar McKeague Mound Work.
By Tom Elling
MILL HALL – There’s an old baseball adage that says “Good pitching beats good hitting.” Monday night at the Central Mountain softball field, that adage certainly rang true as Central Mountain veteran pitcher Adalynn McKeague scattered four hits and struck out 12 in shutting out a very good Penn Trafford team, 10-0 in 6 innings.
The first inning was her only real challenge. Cam Ponko ripped a one-out rope to right for a stand-up double. Bella Rubbe put runners on first and second with a base on balls (the only one McKeague would issue). The CM righty McKeague got out of the inning with a punchout and a grounder to first.
There’s also a baseball adage that claims “Good hitting beats good pitching.” Check that box, too. Just as the Lady Wildcats jump-started their offense at DuBois in the first inning, scoring five runs, they did the exact same thing with the visiting Penn Trafford Lady Warriors. Four walks and two clutch hits gave the home team that same 5-0 lead. Madison Hardy drove in the first two with a bases-loaded shot to left, plating Madisyn Wian and Harley Kunes. Katelyn Bowman drew a walk to load the bases. Taylor Wahlers followed with yet another walk, scoring Cora Myers (who had been walked earlier). That walk caused P-T coach Denny Little to pull his starter, frosh Allyson Paulone. Enter reliever Hailey Pokrant. She struck out the first batter she faced, but the nine-slot hitter Taylor Doyle slashed a single to right, knocking in Hardy and Bowman. The tenth batter in the line-up flied out to right to end the inning. It turns out that was more than enough for McKeague and the ‘Cats.
Central Mountain added another run in the bottom of the 4th on some heady baserunning by Harley Kunes. The third baseman drew a walk to open the inning. She raced to third on a double off the bat of Cora Myers. Neither runner would advance on an infield pop-up, but Kunes waited for a ground out to second and just barely beat the throw home. A walk and another infield grounder prevented any further scoring.
The Lady Wildcats added two more in the 5th. Doyle led off the inning with her third single. Cirstyn Watson followed that with a single of her own. Reliever Pokrant got the next two. Then Myers drove a fly to deep left, scoring Doyle. Watson also scored when the ball was misplayed at home. After five, CM had an 8-0 lead.
In the Warrior 6th, McKeague got the first batter with an infield grounder. DP Bella Rubbe kept things alive with a single. She scooted to second when the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Adalynn being Adalynn struck out the next batter and closed the inning with a groundout to short.
Wildcat fans were hoping for two more for a ten-run rule in their half of the sixth. Camdyn Weaver got one of those with a one-out drive over the RF confines. It was her first HR in her young and promising career. After the second out, Cirstyn Watson hit a double to the CF fence. Madisyn Wian ended the game with a one-hop shot to almost the exact spot, driving in the game-ending tenth run.
McKeague picked up her 12th win of the season. Coach Fred Caldwell affirmed that it was, indeed, her best outing of the season. “We all knew she had been hampered by some nagging injuries, but she has really come along and now we are seeing a pretty much healthy Addie.”
“We played well in every facet of the game today,” the highly successful coach stated. “We (coaches) tell the girls to try to keep an even keel – never too high when we win like this, and never too low when we have a tough loss. But the way we played today, if we continue that for three more games, I’ll be happy.”
The Wildcats scored their ten runs on thirteen hits and committed one error. Penn Trafford had no runs, four hits, and also had one miscue.
Top hitters for the winners were: Watson (2 for 3 with a double); Wian (2 for 5 with a double); Harley Kunes (double); Myers (2 for 3 with a double); Hardy (a single and two RBI); Weaver (a solo HR); and Doyle (3 for 4 with 2 RBI).
Central Mountain will next play this Thursday against Armstrong. The time and site will be released tonight.
