By Don Trello
The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent
Sisters Maddy and Katlin Hall were a powerful combination as Freedom knocked off host Countryside in Class 7A regional softball quarterfinals April 24 with a 2-0 win.
The Patriots (19-3) earned the first playoff win in the program’s 11-year history in their first postseason contest.
“This is the farthest we’ve been in school history,” said Freedom coach Autum Hernandez. “It was a team effort.”
Maddy, a freshman catcher, delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single on a 3-2 pitch from Countryside (24-4) pitcher Alyssa Queen that scored Kayla Maczuga in the seventh inning. Queen (13-3) allowed seven hits, including five in the seventh.
“I wasn’t hitting at all the entire game, so I just wanted to make solid contact,” Maddy said. “I didn’t want to let anything that was a strike go by. I just had to make something big happen.”
The game-winning rally was set up with base hits from Freedom’s seventh, eighth and ninth hitters.
“Maddy is batting at the top of the order for a reason; she makes good contact,” Hernandez said. “That was a huge clutch hit.”
Maczuga started the seventh-inning rally with a two-out, pinch-hit single. Outfielders Ashley Wilson and Rachel Carlson followed with singles to load the bases and set the stage for Maddy.
“Kayla was fresh; she hadn’t been up yet,” Hernandez said about her decision to pinch-hit Maczuga. “I hoped she wasn’t psyched out. She made contact and did a great job.”
Senior second baseman Caroline Whiteside singled after Maddy to score Wilson and give the Patriots a 2-0 lead.
“The bottom of our lineup scores most of our runs,” Hernandez said. “We have that 1-2 punch down there with Maddy coming up. It worked out perfectly.”
Senior Katlin Hall picked up the win after relieving starting pitcher Grace Street at the beginning of the sixth inning.
Street allowed five hits, struck out six and hit one batter. She retired the side after back-to-back singles at the start of the fifth inning, which included getting Hailee Keisling out who entered the contest hitting a team-high .500.
“I was trying to change it up on (Keisling) because the two hits she got (in earlier at-bats) were in the same area,” Street said. “I moved the ball around.”
Kelsie Sanchez singled off Katlin to start the sixth and advanced to second base after Brittany Creamer struck out and Alyssa Householder laid down a sacrifice bunt.
Erin Jankiewicz grounded out to end the sixth, and Katlin retired the side in order to end the game.
“I was nervous, but I was the closer, and I knew it was my job to get them out,” Katlin said. “I have some movement on my ball. I throw curves and changeups. I trusted my pitches to get them out.”
Katlin, a Wharton transfer, was also playing in her first playoff game.
“This was huge,” Katlin said. “This is my first time in regionals, and it feels great to win.”
Katlin improved her record to 7-3 and Street, a sophomore, remained undefeated at 9-0.
“Grace threw a great game,” Hernandez said. “We talked to the pitchers about splitting them. The initial plan was for Grace to pitch five innings. … Katlin closes for us, but we’ve flipped-flopped them a couple of times. Both of their balls have a little different movement. I wanted to bring someone in for a change of pace.”
The Hall sisters were the winning battery with Katlin in the pitcher’s circle and Maddy behind the plate.
“I taught her everything she knows,” Katlin joked when asked about her younger sister’s game-winning hit. “I was so proud of her. I’m glad I can call her my sister.”
Maddy, who threw out Keisling attempting to steal second in the third inning, expressed equally heartfelt feelings about catching her sister.
“I have so much confidence in my sister,” Maddy said. “I have telepathy with her. Catching her is fun.”
The Patriots travel to Class 7A-District 9 rival Chamberlain April 30 for the regional semifinals. The squads split the regular season series with each winning one-run contests. The Chiefs claimed the district title 4-2 at Freedom.
