DeMatteis twins well recognized
Kennedy and Kristina DeMatteis combined for 99 hits, 23 doubles and 66 RBI in 21 games as freshmen on the Moniteau softball team.
The twins had the same number of at-bats (74) and the same monumental impact on a Warriors' team that set a school record with 20 wins this season.
But after failing to make the all-state team after the season, the duo thought the accolades were over.
Until they perused the Moniteau softball page on maxpreps.com and saw an interesting link.
“We were just looking at our high school stats for some reason,” Kennedy DeMatteis said. “And we saw our names linked to a team. So, we clicked on it. I was really shocked.”
That team was the MaxPreps 2014 Underclass All-American Softball team.
Both Kennedy and Kristina found spots on the All-American Freshmen team.
They were the only two freshmen to be recognized from Pennsylvania.
Moniteau coach Dan Beebe also happened upon the team by chance.“I'm definitely proud of them,” Beebe said. “It's a huge achievement. You look at some of the names on the teams and they are some of the best softball players in the country.”Kennedy made the team as a pitcher where she was 16-1 with a 2.31 ERA. She struck out 142 batters in 100 innings this season.She also batted .676 with four home runs, 35 RBI and 50 hits.Kristina landed on the team as a catcher. She batted .662 with two home runs, 31 RBI and 49 hits. She also led the team with 14 doubles.As the pitching battery, Kennedy said the two worked well together.“It helps because we are so close,” Kennedy said. “We kind of know what we are thinking and that helps her call what pitches to throw.”There were 32 players named to each of the three teams selected by maxpreps.com freelance writer Tom Mauldin.Kristina said she was also surprised to see their names on such a prestigious list.“There's a lot of good players out there,” she said. “It's pretty cool being on a team like that.”
