THANK YOU KINDY
Junior pitcher extends scoreless streak as Munster ousts Highland in sectional
It was fitting Munster junior pitcher Mady Kindy snagged a comebacker and flipped to first base for the final out on Tuesday.
“Usually I want my second baseman getting that one,” she said. “But I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to take it right now and finish this game off.’ ”
Kindy carried a perfect game until two outs in the sixth inning and finished with a three-hitter as the Mustangs topped Highland 4-0 in the first round of the Class 4A Lake Central Sectional.
She matched a career high with 10 strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter.
“I felt strong, and my pitches were working, and I was hoping it would be a good game for a sectional win,” Kindy said. “I went in there confident. I was like, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ I trusted my pitches, and I trusted my defense. My defense was amazing — no errors. So thank you to them.”
Jasmine Strietelmeier blooped a ball to the right side of the infield with two outs in the sixth for the first hit for Highland (9-13). Sarah Swallow and Allie DiSanto had back-to-back singles with two outs in the seventh to put runners on the corners before Kindy closed out the game for Munster (16-7), which advances to a sectional semifinal against Lake Central (22-6) on Thursday.
“After the third inning, once I got through the lineup once, I was like, ‘I’m rolling, and I have to keep going,’ ” Kindy said. “There was that one bloop hit, and that was it. But it was exciting. I felt that adrenaline in me keeping me going, keeping me going.”
Kindy continued her momentum from last week. In her two previous outings, she combined for 10 scoreless innings against Hanover Central and Boone Grove, including a complete game against the Wolves.
“She had an amazing game, almost perfect,” first-year Munster coach Jill Perez said. “She needed that. She was on it. She’s normally a very efficient pitcher, and she was just mentally focused.
“She had a couple of really good games last week against some really good teams, and she’s just gotten better and better every game. She just feels comfortable and confident after a couple of good wins. Wow, she just did so good. I’m excited for her.”
Munster was without right fielder Emily Lyza, who entered the game tied for the team lead with 17 RBIs. She suffered a knee injury at practice Monday and attended the game on crutches.
“We came into (Tuesday) with a little bit of adversity,” Perez said. “She’s been huge for us this year. She’s been a leader on and off the field, so for her not to be there in the lineup was a huge blow. I wasn’t sure what our energy was going to be because it was really scary. I didn’t know what our vibe was going to be.
“But we were playing for her. She was in our hearts. It just worked out perfectly.”
Freshman Addison Evilsizor started in right field. She made a terrific sliding catch on Swallow’s liner to start the fifth, preserving Kindy’s perfect game at the time.
“She really stepped up,” Perez said. “That was huge for a freshman. She did a great job filling in that role.”
Char Lorenz, a Louisville commit, had three RBIs for Munster, which topped Highland by a combined three runs in two regular-season games as part of a Northwest Crossroads Conference championship. Kylie Madura went 2-for-3, including a run-scoring single in the third.
Munster lost 16-6 in six innings to Lake Central (22-6) in the season opener for both teams on April 1.
“We have come together so much more as a team,” Kindy said. “We’re just a better team, and our team chemistry is through the roof right now.
“We’re ready for LC. Hopefully we’ll come out like we did (Tuesday).”
Lake Central, ranked No. 10 in the Class 4A state coaches poll, defeated Merrillville 12-0 in five innings on Tuesday. That game marked the season debut of standout Sydney Doloszycki, a Michigan State recruit who made a pinch-hitting appearance. She had been sidelined with a knee injury.
“So much has changed since the first time we played them,” Perez said. “We really weren’t a great team, and we’ve come so far. It was my first game as a new coach. We really had only two returning starters. We all were a little on edge because we lost to Lake Central in sectionals last year, and it was not pretty (16-0 in five innings).
“But we’re 10 times better than we were then. We’re going to play our best and hope it goes our way.”