SOFTBALL SEMIFINALS: PVI TOPS SETON IN 9 INNINGS

By Brian Katkin

In the bottom of the ninth, just three batters after Paul VI’s Megan Calabrese made a game-saving catch in centerfield with the bases loaded to prevent Seton from taking the lead in the extra innings, Calabrese left the batter’s box to talk with Coach E.J. Thomas.

“He just said, ‘I’m hungry and I want to go eat. So go get a hit,’” Calabrese said.

“Brese,” as her teammates call her, returned to the batter’s box and ripped a single down the third base line, scoring Anna Kvartunas for the go-ahead run, ending the rain-soaked WCAC semifinal game at Catholic University, 3-2.

Seton looked like it would be heading to the WCAC finals in the bottom of the fifth inning when they led 2-0. Paul VI had other plans.

After Kvartunas led off the inning with a single, Calabrese grounded into a fielder’s choice. Kathryn Naylor safely advanced Calabrese with a bunt.  With runners on first and second and the crowd sensing a comeback, Alex Manikas roped a double to center field and scored Calabrese, who beat the tag.

With only one out, Kaitlin Smith stepped in for the Panthers and hit a towering fly ball to center field. After tagging up at third, Naylor slid into home and tied the game 2-2.

With the game in extra innings, the rain began to come down stronger and the game was delayed for 40 minutes.  Once play resumed, Paul VI recaptured its momentum and Calabrese’s heroics carried the Panthers into the WCAC finals.
 

O’Connell 7, St. Mary’s Ryken 0

The thuds were almost instantaneous. The first was pitcher Colleen Carty’s glove pounding the side of her leg on the end of her throw. The second was the ball in the catcher’s glove after breezing by St. Mary’s Ryken Danielle Nichols for the final out of O’Connell’s 7-0 WCAC semifinal victory at Catholic University.

Carty’s game-ending strikeout was her eighth of the night and completed her shutout.  A double in the second and a single in the seventh were the only mistakes Carty allowed, preventing an otherwise perfect game.

“I’ve never thrown a perfect game,” Carty said. “I’ve been close before, but it was good. Sometimes I throw less [strikeouts], sometimes I throw more, but [eight] is pretty good for me.”

After holding the Knights in check for the first two innings, O’Connell jumped on St. Mary’s Ryken in the third for five runs in a two-out rally. Madeleine Giaquinto struck out to open the bottom of the third and Kathleen Finley followed with a groundout to the shortstop.

Kelly Miller kept the inning alive with a single to center. Jessica Burk stepped into the batter’s box and sent a fastball over the left fielder’s head for a triple, scoring Miller.

Sarah Eidt followed with a drive to center that sent Burk home an RBI double.  With the momentum appearing to have shifted in O’Connell’s favor, Devon Metcalf put the game further out of reach with a two-run homer over the centerfield fence.

“I didn’t expect to hit it over the fence,” Metcalf said. “I thought it would clip the fence, but it’s all good.”

Two batters later, Sophie Giaquinto scored Carty, who had singled after Metcalf’s home-run, on a double to left field. St. Mary’s Ryken ended O’Connell’s run on the next batter with a strikeout of Maria Zavala. The damage had been done and O’Connell never looked back.