By PAUL GOTHAM
VICTOR, N.Y. — Three days prior, Kylie Bickert did her work at the plate piling up nine RBI on the strength of six hits including two home runs over two games.
On Tuesday, the senior right-hander hurled her first shutout of the season and helped host Victor avenge an earlier loss with a convincing 11-0 triumph over Webster Thomas.
“We were really ready to go after it,” Bickert said. “I think coming into this game we were really like they shouldn’t have beaten us last time. We were really fired up today.”
She struck out 10 while scattering two hits and four walks.
“My curve was really good today,” Bickert said. “My changes were pretty good. I’m really big on changing speeds. My off-speed is my spin pitches. It was really good keeping them off-balance.”
Kylie Bickert works around a leadoff walk in the fifth. Victor 8 Thomas 0 pic.twitter.com/SBu3tZ0YD0
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 9, 2023
After issuing a walk to start the second, Bickert retired nine of the next 10 she faced with a bunt single from Ruby Marrapese serving as the only blemish during that stretch.
And the Victor offense found its rhythm.
“Hitting is contagious,” said junior Olivia Steinorth who had one of six hits in the second inning. “After one person hits, it just keeps going.”
Renee Carnavale and Ryleigh Fontana led the frame with back-to-back base hits. Bickert started the scoring with a base hit of her own. Kendra Santillo brought home Fontana with a bunt. Steinorth put runners on the corners, and Mekenna Hobson capped the outburst with a two-run single.
Victor had all the runs needed with a 4-0 lead.
Kylie Bickert gets @VictorSoftball on the board with an RBI single in the second. Blue Devils add three more to take a 4-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/iWFmM38S2l
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 9, 2023
Bickert credited the weekend tournament for getting the Blue Devils ready
“We played some of the best teams in the state this weekend,” she said referring to the tournament at the Mudville Softball Complex in Herkimer, New York where the Blue Devils faced St. Anthony’s (Long Island) ranked No. 2 in the state, Xaverian (Brooklyn/No. 11) and Archbishop Molloy (Queens/No. 25). “We held our own even though we went 2-and-2. Coming into this game we were really like we have what it takes to beat them. Our showing was not up to par last time.”
Victor lost to Webster Thomas 6-3 when the two teams met on April 11th. The Blue Devils had seven hits in the previous meeting but also committed two errors.
“We really worked on hitting together as a team and stringing together hits through the lineup, so we can support each other,” Carrie Sidare said of Victor’s 18-hit performance on Tuesday. “We were hitting and mixing in some bunts.
“You mainly just want to do it for each other. You see someone ahead of you hitting, you get that drive to hit after them and hit for them and get them in.”
Ashley Jedrich adds to the @VictorSoftball lead with a two-run single. Blue Devils 6-0 with one out in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/o1omiomcvY
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 9, 2023
The win helped Victor (12-4) keep pace in Class AA where, Webster Schroeder (11-4), the reigning NYS Class A champion, holds the top spot with Rush-Henrietta (12-4) percentage points behind. Rush-Henrietta walked-off with a 6-5 win over Schroeder in other action on Tuesday.
Victor fell to Fairport (2-1) in last year’s Class AA final and in the semis the previous season.
“The past two years have motivated us to work hard this year,” Steinorth said. “We have six seniors this year, so half of our team is leaving. We’re all really motivated to win for them. As a junior and talking to the other juniors and sophomores and freshmen on the team, we all want to win for them.”
Ashley Jedrich makes the play from third. Kylie Bickert strands two. Mid 6: Victor 10 Thomas 0 pic.twitter.com/sKn4ZGVU9U
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) May 9, 2023
Steinorth finished 2-for-4 with a run scored on the day. Sidare was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Hobson finished 3-for-5 with three RBI. Carnavale was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while Fontana was 3-for-4 and crossed home once. Ashley Jedrich had two hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Audrey Steinorth went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Ruby Marrapese had both of the Webster Thomas (9-6) hits. The Titans, currently No. 2 in Class A1, have not lost to a Section V team in their classification or smaller.
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