WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA Eagles' win over Sharon is bonus

Kennedy Christian's softball team ended its regular season 12-4 in the MCAC after going 4-12 last year.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- After clinching a berth in the District 10 Class A softball playoffs earlier this week, Kennedy Christian High's 12-0 win over Sharon on Thursday was simply a bonus.
Combining their 10 hits with eight Sharon errors and seven walks, the Golden Eagles closed their regular season in fashion.
"We have been hitting about .320 as a team this year," Kennedy Christian coach Tim Pratt said. "We have been averaging about eight or nine hits each game, and defensively we're pretty strong. We haven't hurt ourselves with a lot of errors, and that has helped us."
With Kennedy's program only in its third year of existence, Pratt is happy with the way things have unfolded.
"I have had this group of five seniors all three years, and they have really been dedicated to getting things going this year," he said. "We were 4-12 last year and now we go 12-4 this year, so things are looking good for us in the future."
The pitching: Good pitching is a luxury. Thursday, the Golden Eagles received that from Traci DeGarmo, who only faced 19 batters in five innings. She allowed two walks and no hits while striking out eight.
"About the third or fourth inning she settles down," Pratt said. "That has been her routine all year. She has done a nice job all year of pitching ahead of the hitters, and you can do that when you throw strikes."
Kennedy Christian spread its offense around as the 10 hits came from eight different players, with Jan Bartholomew as the only multiple-hitter in the lineup. The catcher had three singles and a pair of RBIs.
Kennedy Christian (13-4, 12-4 Mercer County Athletic Conference) will begin the District 10 playoffs as the second seed out of Mercer County and will face the top seed from the Erie area in the opening round. That game will be played Tuesday at 2 p.m. on Field 1 of the Line Avenue complex in Meadville.
"Being the first time we have been up there, it's going to be a learning experience," Pratt said. "This is what we have been working hard to achieve for three years."