Hames, Kalkowski toss combined no-hitter in 8-0 Seneca Valley win
JACKSON TWP — Any batter dressed in gray on Monday served merely as a formality.
In a 8-0 WPIAL Section 1-6A softball win over visiting Mt. Lebanon, Seneca Valley’s Lexie Hames and Abby Kalkowski combined for a no-hitter and had the virtue of run support to boot.
Hames carried a perfect game into the sixth frame before walking Blue Devils (0-5, 0-3) pinch hitter Angeleah Hayes with two gone in that half-inning. The free pass snapped a streak of 14 consecutive strikeouts for the Raiders’ junior flamethrower.
“She was locked in with trying to get ahead of the batters,” Seneca Valley coach Marlesse Hames said. “Start with a strike, then we can throw some other stuff. Her rise ball was really on today. Her speed was really good, so she was (firing) on all cylinders there.”
As Mt. Lebanon’s only base runner on the day, Hayes stole second, but was stranded there as Hames fanned No. 1 hitter Hannah Boomhower for a third time. With 17 strikeouts and a total of 35 swing-and-misses, Hames tagged Kalkowski in prior to the seventh.
Hames only allowed one ball to be put into play, that being Rebecca Davis’ flyout to right field to end the top half of the first inning.
By the time Hames’ day was finished, the Raiders (7-0, 4-0) held a 6-0 lead. After junior Bella Gross added an insurance run in the bottom sixth, Kalkowski caused a flyout to center field, a foul lineout to first, and a groundout to second.
Seneca Valley got to Blue Devils pitcher Gabrielle Boone in each of its turns but the third.
“That’s one thing we’ve really talked about,” the elder Hames said. “Last year, I feel like we really struggled hitting to back up the pitching. We really needed to bring that strong this season. ... If they walk Lexie — or whatever they do — we have all these hitters behind her.”
Batting cleanup, Gross smacked three hits and collected four RBIs in the win.
“It was a good speed,” Gross said of the opposing pitcher’s arsenal. “She was outside, but she also threw inside. So I just kind of fouled off the outside ones and waited for the pitch that I liked that was easiest to hit.”
Her scorching single up the middle scored Hames’ courtesy runner, freshman Olivia Herrem, in the bottom first. Sophomore Neve Miller doubled to lead off the second and was brought in on senior Kylie Staudt’s one-out bouncer to short.
Sophomore Emry Rice singled home Kalkowski after her one-out base hit in the fourth frame, but things really broke open in the fifth.
Senior Kara Pasquale laid down a bunt to lead that inning off, then Boone’s put-out attempt was too wide. Pasquale reached third thanks to the error and Hames’ second free pass of the day put runners on the corners. Herrem swiped second before Gross’ two-RBI double to the left field fence.
“It definitely gives her some cushion space,” Gross said of the offensive effort. “Even if she gets down, makes a couple bad pitches, she can still get back up because we have space for her to make errors.”
Anna Kalkowski laced the very next pitch down the left field line for a run-scoring double of her own and her courtesy runner, Izzy Schall, came across on an Abby Kalkowski groundout.
Lauren Folino’s one-out double in the seventh set the table for Gross’ third RBI base knock.
“Her hitting is phenomenal,” Coach Hames said of Gross. “She’s a power hitter. She sees the ball really well and is able to be behind Lex. That really helps out, big time.”
Mt. Lebanon coach Paige Flore wasn’t available for comment.
Mt. Lebanon 000 000 0 — 0
Seneca Valley 110 141 x — 8
W: Lexie Hames 6IP (17K, 1BB). L: Gabrielle Boone 6IP (2K, 4BB).
Mt. Lebanon (0-5, 0-3): No hits
Seneca Valley (7-0, 4-0): Lauren Folino 2B R, Kara Pasquale R, Olivia Herrem 2R, Bella Gross 2B 2-1B 4RBI R, Anna Kalkowski 2B RBI, Izzy Schall R, Neve Miller 2B R, Abby Kalkowski 1B RBI R, Kylie Staudt RBI, Emry Rice 1B RBI
Wednesday: Hempfield at Seneca Valley
