Kelsey Griffin looked like she might have been playing catch in her back yard instead of wrapping up a one-run win over a tough opponent Tuesday. The Scarborough pitcher threw strikes and caught the return throws from her catcher, never betraying any emotion.
“She’s a pretty cool character out there. Not much bothers her,” said her coach and father, Tom Griffin. “I’m sure she’s a bundle of nerves on the inside, but she keeps her composure.”
The younger Griffin spun her third no-hitter of the season, striking out 14 in a 1-0 win against visiting Bonny Eagle (13-3). The Red Storm (14-1) sewed up the top postseason seed with the victory.
The fireballing Scarborough junior is part of a pitching staff – including Caitlin LeBorgne and brief stints from Ambre Davidson and Reegan Brackett – that has let up just 10 runs and 33 hits in 15 games.
After LeBorgne’s no hitter Friday at McAuley, the Red Storm have tossed 14 straight hitless innings. They’ve also hit double figures in strikeouts every game, and Griffin herself has struck out 116, all the while keeping that calm and focused exterior.
“Usually I’m a little nervous, but I try not to show my emotions,” Griffin said.
Though Tuesday evening was a bit chilly, the playoff atmosphere around the Scarborough diamond warmed everyone up. A good-sized contingent of fans turned out and the excitement was palpable.
Wilson actually walked a batter in each of the first two innings, but both were stranded when the next two hitters went down on strikes.
Meanwhile, Ambre Davidson, back in the line-up after knee surgery forced her to miss half the season, started off the Storm second with a grounder that slid through the hole into left field, just eluding third baseman Jess Bettney and shortstop Kelly Johnson.
Reegan Brackett came in to pinch run and was sacrificed to second by LeBorgne. After Scots pitcher Kaitlin Williams secured a second out via strikeout, Angie Damon hit a change-up to left that dropped in for a base hit. Brackett would have held up at third, but left fielder Ashley Perrone bobbled the ball and Brackett came home.
“I’m real pleased for Angie,” Coach Griffin said. “That’s been a big bat. She’s been up and down offensively, and that was great to get her going and get some confidence for the playoffs.”
That would be all the scoring either team would get. Williams allowed only one hit outside that inning, walked two and struck out three. Scarborough didn’t let a runner reach third, and the two that made it to second did so via stolen bases.
When Bonny Eagle first baseman Alyssa Dunn started off the fourth by reaching first on a hard grounder that LeBorgne misplayed at shortstop, Griffin bore down and struck out the side.
“She was tough,” said Scots center fielder Llia Conway. “We haven’t seen that speed all season.”
During the middle of the game, Griffin struck out nine of 10 hitters and at the end she seemed to be throwing even harder than in the opening innings.
“I tried to pace myself and make sure I wasn’t getting behind in the late innings,” she said. “Sometimes I’m a little weak in the last couple of innings.”
The win was surely good preparation for the postseason battles ahead.
“This is exactly what we needed, a good crowd, pressure situations.” Coach Griffin said. “In these games, someone has a clutch hit or defensive mistake, and it was just a little bobble in left field to score that run. You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities when they happen, and we were fortunate today that we did.”
The preliminary round of the state tournament is scheduled for June 6, with top-seeded Scarborough hosting a quarterfinal game on June 8. In the meantime, the SMAA’s top four teams will square off for the league title.
“We’ve been right on the edge for the past few years, and this year we need to take it one step further,” said Davidson. “We’re so close every year, and I think this year we can get over the hump.”
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