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WICCOPEE — There was a bemused expression, followed by a shrug, then a smile.
That was Kayleigh Petrillo's reaction when asked if she was nervous at any point during his varsity softball debut.
What about when her control faltered in the second inning and she faced a bases-loaded jam? Even her dad, Chris, admitted to feeling a little jittery as a spectator.
"Not really," said Kayleigh, a seventh-grader who seemed unfazed. "My team is really supportive and believes in me, so that made me confident."
There's a reciprocal effect, because it's her unwavering confidence that has made Roy C. Ketcham teammates believers.
Boogie wonderland: Reynes stars as upstart Roosevelt tops Newburgh for encouraging start
Last year: Nardelli helps Ketcham edge Arlington in quarterfinals after scary car crash
Petrillo shrugged off the pressure of the circumstances and the setting, weaving a shutout to lead the Storm in a 3-0 road win over John Jay-East Fishkill in the teams' season opener Monday.
She approached facing their intra-district rival and pitching to talented high school athletes with the same insouciance as someone opening a textbook to begin algebra homework... And Petrillo might not even be old enough to take algebra.
"She's built differently," coach Scott Satterlee said of the right-hander. "She's mentally tough, loves to compete, and she shows great composure at a young age."
So impressed was he by the talent and guile she demonstrated on the travel softball circuit, Petrillo bypassed the junior varsity level. Having observed her progress there, catcher Paige Hotle said, there was a belief the middle-schooler could immediately succeed here.
Good call. Petrillo kept the Patriots off-balance with a good fastball and changeup combination, allowing only three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. She consistently induced soft contact, forcing several groundouts to infielders and rollers back to the circle.
"She works the fastball and changeup well, and she can go with either to start a sequence," said Hotle, a junior who recently made a verbal commitment to St. John's University. "For most young pitchers, it's not easy to throw something besides the fastball for a first-pitch strike. But she has command of all her pitches."
Hotle, similarly, was promoted to the varsity as a seventh-grader and flourished. In her, Petrillo said, she's got an excellent catcher who can help guide her through games and a mentor whom she can readily lean on for advice. Production, too.
Hotle went 3 for 3 with two RBI and a run to spark an offense that scored twice in the top of the first inning. Christiana Simou was 2 for 3 with two runs, and Emma Kozlowski went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
Simou doubled, then Hotle drove her in with a single, and the catcher later came around on Kozlowski's two-out single to right, giving the Storm an immediate 2-0 lead. Hotle's double to deep left scored Simou, creating the margin in the sixth.
"It's always good to have a cushion early in case of any mistakes, and especially for someone making their first start," Hotle said of them scoring twice in the first. "It's also the first game of the season. Getting that lead also let us get over some of the nerves and take a deep breath."
John Jay threatened in the second inning when a single, a two-out walk and hit batter loaded the bases for the top of its lineup. But Petrillo got a groundball to shortstop to escape trouble.
"I just took a deep breath and got through it," the pitcher said, conveying a calmness that explains in part her unflappability on the field.
Lyla Dwyer allowed eight hits and struck out five in a complete game for the Patriots. Leah Doughty went 1 for 2 with a walk, Makenzy Lynch was 1 for 3, and sophomore Leah Barone singled in the fourth for her first varsity hit.
Ketcham has been one of the better teams in Section 1 the last few seasons — reaching the Class AAA semifinals last spring — but they've done it despite some instability in the circle. Iona commit Kaelyn Brenner pitched for them last season, the infielder switching positions out of necessity. But in Petrillo now, the team hopes it has an ace for years to come, backed up by Maddie Perez.
"It feels really good to win my first game, but there's no extra pressure," the rookie said of being relied on for a team with title hopes. "I know my team has my back, so I just go out there and do my thing."
And leave the nervousness to the adults.
Stephen Haynes: [email protected]; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Softball: Petrillo, Hotle shine as Ketcham tops John Jay-East Fishkill
Continue reading...
That was Kayleigh Petrillo's reaction when asked if she was nervous at any point during his varsity softball debut.
What about when her control faltered in the second inning and she faced a bases-loaded jam? Even her dad, Chris, admitted to feeling a little jittery as a spectator.
You must be registered for see images attach
"Not really," said Kayleigh, a seventh-grader who seemed unfazed. "My team is really supportive and believes in me, so that made me confident."
There's a reciprocal effect, because it's her unwavering confidence that has made Roy C. Ketcham teammates believers.
Boogie wonderland: Reynes stars as upstart Roosevelt tops Newburgh for encouraging start
Last year: Nardelli helps Ketcham edge Arlington in quarterfinals after scary car crash
Petrillo shrugged off the pressure of the circumstances and the setting, weaving a shutout to lead the Storm in a 3-0 road win over John Jay-East Fishkill in the teams' season opener Monday.
You must be registered for see images attach
She approached facing their intra-district rival and pitching to talented high school athletes with the same insouciance as someone opening a textbook to begin algebra homework... And Petrillo might not even be old enough to take algebra.
"She's built differently," coach Scott Satterlee said of the right-hander. "She's mentally tough, loves to compete, and she shows great composure at a young age."
So impressed was he by the talent and guile she demonstrated on the travel softball circuit, Petrillo bypassed the junior varsity level. Having observed her progress there, catcher Paige Hotle said, there was a belief the middle-schooler could immediately succeed here.
You must be registered for see images attach
Good call. Petrillo kept the Patriots off-balance with a good fastball and changeup combination, allowing only three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. She consistently induced soft contact, forcing several groundouts to infielders and rollers back to the circle.
"She works the fastball and changeup well, and she can go with either to start a sequence," said Hotle, a junior who recently made a verbal commitment to St. John's University. "For most young pitchers, it's not easy to throw something besides the fastball for a first-pitch strike. But she has command of all her pitches."
Hotle, similarly, was promoted to the varsity as a seventh-grader and flourished. In her, Petrillo said, she's got an excellent catcher who can help guide her through games and a mentor whom she can readily lean on for advice. Production, too.
You must be registered for see images
Hotle went 3 for 3 with two RBI and a run to spark an offense that scored twice in the top of the first inning. Christiana Simou was 2 for 3 with two runs, and Emma Kozlowski went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
Simou doubled, then Hotle drove her in with a single, and the catcher later came around on Kozlowski's two-out single to right, giving the Storm an immediate 2-0 lead. Hotle's double to deep left scored Simou, creating the margin in the sixth.
"It's always good to have a cushion early in case of any mistakes, and especially for someone making their first start," Hotle said of them scoring twice in the first. "It's also the first game of the season. Getting that lead also let us get over some of the nerves and take a deep breath."
You must be registered for see images attach
John Jay threatened in the second inning when a single, a two-out walk and hit batter loaded the bases for the top of its lineup. But Petrillo got a groundball to shortstop to escape trouble.
"I just took a deep breath and got through it," the pitcher said, conveying a calmness that explains in part her unflappability on the field.
Lyla Dwyer allowed eight hits and struck out five in a complete game for the Patriots. Leah Doughty went 1 for 2 with a walk, Makenzy Lynch was 1 for 3, and sophomore Leah Barone singled in the fourth for her first varsity hit.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ketcham has been one of the better teams in Section 1 the last few seasons — reaching the Class AAA semifinals last spring — but they've done it despite some instability in the circle. Iona commit Kaelyn Brenner pitched for them last season, the infielder switching positions out of necessity. But in Petrillo now, the team hopes it has an ace for years to come, backed up by Maddie Perez.
"It feels really good to win my first game, but there's no extra pressure," the rookie said of being relied on for a team with title hopes. "I know my team has my back, so I just go out there and do my thing."
And leave the nervousness to the adults.
Stephen Haynes: [email protected]; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Softball: Petrillo, Hotle shine as Ketcham tops John Jay-East Fishkill
Continue reading...
