43
Ursuline's Kenneally beats hometown team
Ursuline vs Girard softball
Gallery
By Brian Dzenis
YOUNGSTOWN
Ursuline pitcher Jordyn Kenneally knows Girard’s softball team well and the Indians are familiar with her, too.
As far as it having in impact on Wednesday’s contest, the Irish senior right-hander saw it as a two-way street.
“I grew up with these girls,” said Kenneally, a Girard native. “A lot of the odds were against me.”
Photo Gallery: Ursuline vs Girard Softball
The game ended up being a one-sided affair with the Irish coming away with a 9-1 victory. Kenneally scattered four hits across seven innings, striking out six and walking three against her former middle school teammates.
“I knew most of the girls on Girard and I knew where to pitch them, but I mostly just trusted my defense,” Kenneally said. “I knew they would be able to make the good plays.”
Ursuline’s infield features three sophomores and a freshman. Their shakiest inning was the first. Girard’s Rosie Maderitz opened the game with a single to center field, got to second on Jessica Dohy’s bunt, stole third and then scored on an error.
The Irish had one more error for the rest of the contest.
“They’re in new spots. I think the most frustrating part for them is dealing with me versus just being out there and playing the game,” Ursuline coach Michael Kernan said of his inexperienced infield. “I’ve got great kids who stay focused and continue to get better.”
Kenneally escaped three separate situations when Girard (7-11) had runners in scoring position. In the fourth inning, Girard had runners at second and third with no outs. She and the defense turned a 1-3-2 double play and then struck out the Indians’ Jill Boccieri to end the inning unscathed.
“Jordyn knows how to step it up. If we give up a walk, a hit or an error, she knows how to dig in and get key outs,” Kernan said. “That’s her three-year experience and quality of pitcher that she is and what she’s capable of doing.
“We just need to eliminate putting ourselves in that position.”
The Irish collected 11 hits and scored nine runs in the first four innings, falling two runs short of a mercy-rule victory.
Jenna O’Hara and McKenzie Shells each hit RBI doubles for the winning side. Macy Ross and Gia Caldrone each had two hits, with Caldrone getting a double.
Maderitz had two hits for the Indians and Hanna Jones had her team’s lone extra-base hit, a double. Dohy took the loss for Girard, striking out four and walking three.
Girard had won five of six games coming into Wednesday’s contest.
“Every inning [Ursuline] was chipping away and we couldn’t get the extra out we needed to get out of the inning,” Girard coach Charlie Mazzella said. “You give them extra outs and they get runs.
“We were coming off a nine-inning game last night in the cold and we were a little beat down, but they dug deep.”
Ursuline improves to 12-7 with the win. Some of those losses came to area heavyweights. The Irish had an eight-inning 13-11 loss to Marlington, a 13-12 loss to Mathews and a 9-7 loss to rival Cardinal Mooney in nine innings.
“We’ve had some tight games and I think we’ve put ourselves in some tight spots. I think of the losses we’ve had, two were one-run and three were in extra innings.” Kernan said. “We’re close to having a different record, but it shows the youth on our team and the maturity from where we’ve come from in the beginning of the season to now.”