Abby Kalkowski’s bat comes alive, Lexie Hames records 900th K as Seneca Valley softball pops Butler
-
Seneca Valley’s Abby Kalkowski (18) is met at home plate by her teammates to celebrate hitting a home run in a softball game against Butler on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley pitcher Lexie Hames (44) is congratulated by teammates Neve Miller, left, and Izzy Schall, middle after Hames’ 900th strikeout in a softball game on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Butler’s Kierra Smith (12) fires a pitch to a Seneca Valley batter during a softball game Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley’s Abby Kalkowski (18) is met at home plate by her teammates to celebrate hitting a home run in a softball game against Butler on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Seneca Valley pitcher Lexie Hames (44) is congratulated by teammates Neve Miller, left, and Izzy Schall, middle after Hames’ 900th strikeout in a softball game on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Seneca Valley girls softball team defeated Butler 11-4 on Monday, May 5, 2025, at Seneca Valley High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
JACKSON TWP — Talk about shining on a diamond.
Seneca Valley junior Abby Kalkowski drilled a pair of homers and a double, scored two runs and had three RBIs in one inning, struck out a batter with the bases loaded to short-circuit an opposing rally and took a line drive off the shin during the Raiders’ 11-4 Section 1-6A home softball win over Butler on Monday.
“I was fine,” Kalkowski said of the Mikayla Crouch liner back to the pitching circle that knocked her off her feet in the seventh inning. “I was more embarrassed than anything.”
There was nothing embarrassing about her performance on this day.
Kalkowski opened a nine-run Raider second inning with a double to right. Neve Miller’s double to deep center plated her for the first run of the game. Paige Volz followed with her first home run of the season. Kalkowski eventually ended the uprising with a three-run homer to left.
“We were hitting Abby second in our lineup for a while, but felt we weren’t getting the most out of her bat,” SV coach Marlesse Hames said. “We moved her down to sixth a few games ago, and she’s been tearing it up ever since.
“She is a big part of our offense.”
Kalkowski entered the game with a .321 batting average. The Raiders (17-2, 13-2) did not score again until her two-run homer to center in the sixth. Kalkowski has five homers on the season.
“I hit three home runs in a game (for SV) during fall ball,” Kalkowski said. “That was definitely a good day for me. But this was pretty good, too.”
SV carried its 9-0 lead into the fifth. Raider pitcher Lexie Hames struck out the first two batters of that frame before Kalkowski replaced her in the circle. Hames had 10 strikeouts and was working on a one-hitter at the time.
Hames’ first strikeout in the fifth was the 900th of her high school career. It came on senior day as Hames, Addie Winkle, Lauren Folino, Bella Gross and Izzy Schall were honored before the game.
“We were hoping it would time out this way,” Lexie said of her 900th strikeout. “This is the closest team I’ve ever been on. We’re like sisters, like family. We planned it out so all of us seniors would walk off the field together after that strikeout.”
Seneca Valley plays at fellow WPIAL favorite Hempfield on Tuesday.
“I wanted to get Lexie out of there, not have her pitch so much today,” Coach Hames said. “We don’t worry about stats much, but she really wanted to get that 900th strikeout here.”
Butler (2-18, 2-14) got to Kalkowski a bit late in the game.
Shylee Karenbauer hit a two-run double in the sixth, and the Golden Tornado loaded the bases afterward. With the sacks jammed and one out, Kalkowski recorded a strikeout on a changeup and escaped further damage when catcher Julia Valasek picked the runner off third.
Kaylin Garbinski and Karenbauer added run-scoring singles in the seventh.
“We’ve talked all year about plate discipline,” Butler coach Kara Sroka said. “We had a lot of good at-bats today. Lexie throws strikes, and she’s been getting 16, 18, 20 strikeouts in games. I thought we battled her today.”
Coach Hames agreed.
“They were patient at the plate, worked the count, made us throw a lot of pitches,” Hames said of Butler. “They kept fighting.”
Seneca Valley also recognized Tornado seniors Karenbauer, Lily Vicari, Marissa Sklencar and Kierra Smith before the game.
Butler 000 002 2 — 4 8 1
Seneca Valley 090 002 x — 11 9 0
WP: Lexie Hames 4.2IP (10so, 1bb). LP: Kierra Smith 1.2IP (0so, 3bb).
Butler (2-18, 2-14): Lily Vicari 2-1B 2-R, Mikayla Crouch 2-1B 2-R, Kaylin Garbinski 1B RBI, Shylee Karenbauer 2B 1B 3-RBI, Kyra Olivares 1B.
Seneca Valley (17-2, 13-2): Emry Rice 1B, Julia Valasek 1B, Lexie Hames 1B RBI, Abby Kalkowski 2B 2-HR 5-RBI 3-R, Neve Miller 2B RBI, Paige Volz HR 2-RBI, Izzy Schall 1B.
Tuesday: Kiski Area at Butler, Seneca Valley at Hempfield
