Freshman duo leads Kutztown to district title
MILLERSVILLE >> A year after relying on a senior pitcher and senior catcher to take his team to the second round of the PIAA State playoffs, Kutztown head coach Kevin Conrad has found himself with a much younger pair guiding his team in 2016.
In Thursday’s District 3-AA championship at Millersville University, the combination of freshman pitcher Katie Calkins in the circle, and freshman catcher Kayla Fritz calling pitches behind the plate, turned in a no-hitter as Kutztown beat Pequea Valley, 2-0 in the District 3-AA Championship game.
“I think they calm each others’ nerves,” Conrad said, “and they really work well together. They put a lot of time in over the winter, and it’s not by accident.”
Calkins gets a flyout to RF to finish off no-hitter. Kutztown wins District 3-AA championship, 2-0. pic.twitter.com/cEg53N0S96
— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) June 2, 2016
Kutztown lost to Delone Catholic, 10-3, in last year’s district championship. The loss left an uneasy feeling with Cougars’ left fielder Maria Meigio.
“We came back, tried to redeem ourselves, get the redemption,” Meigio said. “We came out really prepared.”
Meigio stepped up to the plate in the top of the first inning with a runner on second and two outs. She smacked a line drive up the middle to score center fielder Ashley Donat, who led off the game with a bunt, for the game’s opening run.
“Definitely getting out early is a huge thing, especially in championships,” Meigio said. “It kind of rattles the other team. In the box I was thinking ‘Ashley Donat is on second and we need to get this run.’”
With a one-run lead, Calkins’ gameplan was simple: throw to Fritz’s mitt.
“I just watch my catcher for where she puts the glove,” the freshman pitcher said. “And then I just aim there.”
Calkins only allowed two base runners in the contest. Pequea Valley left fielder Olivia Weaver started off the third inning by getting on base after an error by Kutztown. After two sacrifice bunts advanced Weaver over to third, Calkins got a ground ball back to herself for the third out to end the threat.
Kutztown’s freshman right-hander allowed one run in 20 innings throughout the district tournament. She gave up one run over six innings in the team’s first district win against Upper Dauphin, and she tossed a complete game shutout in Kutztown’s semifinal win against Delone Catholic.
Calkins was backed by a strong Cougars’ defense throughout the tournament. Kutztown committed only two errors in its three district games.
“Pitching and defense wins championships,” Meigio said. “That was kind of our whole motto for the whole districts.”
The game ended on a fantastic defensive play by Kutztown right fielder Jillian Siefert. After striking out for the last out of the sixth inning, she charged and made a diving catch on a blooper to right field for the final out of the game.
In Tuesday’s win, Siefert threw a runner out at first base from right field in the bottom of the seventh inning.
“I know that I’m more comfortable defensively than offensively,” Siefert said. “So when I don’t do as well as I want offensively, I pick myself up defensively.”
The Cougars offense was slowed for the second consecutive game. Pequea Valley pitcher Sabrina Ryan gave up four hits and struck out 10 Kutztown hitters.
Following their run in the first inning, the Cougars didn’t score again until the bottom of the sixth when Pequea Valley made two errors on a bunt by Megan Parks, and Donat reached home for the second time in the game.
Kutztown will play Philadelphia Academy Charter from District 12 on Monday in the first round of the PIAA-AA State playoffs.
