TJ is punishing bats, opponents
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Thanks to the predictablyharsh March weather, Thomas Jefferson was forced to spend the early part of its season indoors, where the Jaguars took countless cuts inside the batting cages. It was there they took the phrase “crack of the bat” literally.
Coach Heidi Karcher posted an image to her Twitter account of a team bat with its barrel dented and laced with cracks. Luckily, most of the players have their own bats nowadays, but there was a time when a broken bat might spell disaster.
“When we grew up, there were like three bats in the dugout,” said Karcher. “We joke around because the amount of bats now could equal a mortgage payment.”
All of that time in the cage was well spent. Those bats haven’t gotten a break, as the Jaguars are cranking out hits and plating runs in the early going. Thomas Jefferson, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, has racked up 38 runs through its first three games to start the season 30.
After rolling to the runner-up spot in the WPIAL and the semifinals of the PIAA tournament while playing in 5A last season, the Jaguars were expected to get off to a good start after dropping down a classification. Then the unexpected happened. Starting pitcher Bella Bucy is resting due to a tired arm. She is expected to make a full recovery and return soon, Karcher said. Last season, Bucy struck out 110 batters and had an ERA of 1.74.
In the meantime, freshman Bree Kibe has taken the circle. Providing big run support for the freshman has taken the pressure off. With a lineup like the Jaguars have, 1-0 games aren’t to be expected.
“We have to hit and we have to be able to score runs,” said Karcher.
Mackenzie Zang knocked in seven runs in the Jaguars’ 12-10, season-opening triumph at Moon. Karcher’s daughter, catcher Haleigh, batted .461 with 27 RBIs last year and is once again a force in the lineup. Lily Rockwell and freshman Graci Fairman have been solid as well for Thomas Jefferson, which brought back eight starters.
Latrobe
The Wildcats played for the district’s 6A championship last year and began this season as the top-ranked squad in Class 5A due to a number of returning starters, including all-section pitcher Kiley Myers.
The Wildcats lost some of that experience this past Saturday when Myers left the team.
“Just out of the blue,” said Latrobe coach Rick Kozusko. “I never got a reason why. She just turned in her jersey.
“All I can presume is her heart wasn’t in it.”
Myers was coming back from an arm injury that occurred over the summer, Kozusko said, and was being brought back slowly. Sophomore Jordan Tallman was sharing the workload and will now be the starter.
In her last game for the Wildcats, Myers fired a onehitter while striking out nine in a 10-0, five-inning victory against Armstrong. For the season, she had 15 strikeouts and allowed just the one hit in seven innings pitched.
Tallman has carried most of the workload. She has thrown 14 innings with 36 strikeouts and allowed only five hits.
Latrobe is 4-0 through Monday and has outscored its opponents, 34-3.
“We’re in the middle of a section battle,” said Kozusko. “We’ve got to move on.”
Riverview
Junior pitcher Alyssa Cappa was humming along like she typically does when the Raiders faced Valley March 28.
“She was throwing a typical Alyssa Cappa game,” coach Jim Ashbaugh said. “I’m in the moment, as all of our players and coaches are. I didn’t even realize how many strikeouts she had.”
While it may not have been obvious in the moment, Cappa made history. She tied the school record with 17 strikeouts in the 10-7 victory.
For the season, Cappa has sat down 26 batters in 12⅔ innings. The dual-threat also bats leadoff and sports an average of .667 with 2 homers, 3 RBIs and 6 runs scored.