Calvary Christian softball falls to King’s Academy in state title series
Calvary Christian softball coach Patrick McDermott said his goals for his Lady Knights’ team was to play for the GICAA Division II state championship and take on King’s Academy, the team which beat the Lady Knights last postseason. The rematch didn’t go as McDermott’s side hoped, but in the end the team realized their coach’s aspirations.
Calvary Christian came up on the losing end of a two-game series to determine the state champion Tuesday. King’s Academy started the day with a 10-1 win before following with an 11-3 victory.
The second win gave King’s Academy their fourth consecutive state championship.
“The preparation was there,” McDermott said about his team. “The stage for the most part was just a little bit too much for them. It’s not an excuse, but it’s what reality is. That’s about the biggest difference — playing scared in both games.”
King’s Academy dominated the opening game of the series, but Calvary Christian had its chances in Game 2. Down 3-0 in the second inning, the Lady Knights loaded the bases with no outs.
Two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice left the Calvary Christian shaking their heads as they headed back to the dugout.
“Anytime you get an opportunity, you need to make the most of it,” McDermott said. “Today, we could string two hits together, but we couldn’t string that third or fourth hit. It came back to bite us. Difference wise, when you get your opportunities, you need to make the most of it.”
The Lady Knights had a few squandered shots at runs, but for the most part they were silenced by King’s Academy pitcher Laurelyn Ostrowidzki. Ostrowidzki started both games for King’s Academy, notching 20 total strikeouts in the process.
If there was a positive to be taken away from the two losses, it’s that the future remains bright for Calvary Christian.
The Lady Knights lose only one senior starter from this year’s team. The roster remains an impressively young one, as this year’s lineup featured two seventh graders, three eighth graders and two sophomores.
Freshman Molly Gayles got the start in the circle for the Lady Knights in Game 1, followed by Cissy Mills-Wells in Game 2.
McDermott credited Calvary Christian’s revival of the middle school program for the amount of youth in this year’s lineup before adding a couple of seventh graders may jump on up to the varsity level this time next year.
McDermott remained positive about what’s coming down the line. He said the program’s trajectory is to return to the championship series in the near future, and at the very least compete to play in those games.
Although the Lady Knights walked off the field with a sour taste in their mouths, consider Tuesday’s trip just a taste of what’s yet to come.
“They (King’s Academy) got us twice, but hopefully we’ll get another shot at it,” McDermott said. “To make it to this point, I’m ecstatic. We’ve reached our goals, as far as I’m concerned.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2018 at 9:43 PM with the headline "Calvary Christian softball falls to King’s Academy in state title series."