Three in a Row for Orange All Stars

Thanks to Katie Koshes’ strong left arm and powerful bat, the Orange 11-12 year old All Stars downed North Branford 4-1 Sunday night in the District 4 playoffs at Stankye Field. Orange is now 3-0 and the only undefeated team left in the 5-team pool. North Branford’s record dips to 2-1. Coach Frank Koshes’ girls host Hamden Tuesday night at Stankye Field, starting at 7:30.  Koshes allowed only one run on four hits. She also struck out eight and walked but 2 purple-clad batters as she recorded her second complete game victory of the week.

According to winning Coach Frank Koshes, “Our pitching was great tonight. Our defense was great; and, we got some solid hits that produced our runs.”

The score was tied 1-1 as Orange came to bat in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Katie Koshes lined an opposite field dounble down the left field line. She moved over to third base on Cassidy Kirby’s infield out, and scored when North Branford pitcher Lindsay Golia uncorked one of her three wild pitches. Now leading 2-1, Orange added another run when Teresa Marchitto walked, advanced a base on Golia’s errant toss, and came home on Martha Zhang’s booming double off the left field fence.

“I thought it was out. Martha hit a bomb! The left fielder was on the warning track and the ball was over her head,” Frank Koshes said.

Orange added its fourth and final run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kirby drew a lead-off walk and 1 out later Zhang was hit by a pitch. Allie Gusmano whacked a single off the ankle of North Branford first baseman Haley Basil. When the ball caromed all the way to second base, Kirby raced around third base and scooted home.

Frank Koshes said, “Katie pitched well tonight and both our offense and defense were phenomenal!”

Holding a 4-1 advantage, Katie Koshes began to wild in the top of the sixth inning.  Julia Haeckle led off with a single into right field and Emily Velez walked. Sabrina Lemere beat out a slow roller to second base, but Velez was called out for base runner interference as she got in the way of Emily Bacal’s effort to cover second base. With runners on the corners and only 1 out, Koshes got Michelle Theilgard on a foul pop that was snagged by Zhang and then fired a game-ending third strike past Leah Martone.

“I don’t thing I was tired in the sixth inning. My older sister, Allie, is sick and my stomach was bothering me. I also think I lost my focus early in the sixth inning. but I quickly regained it,” Katie Koshes said.

While she ripped a pair of doubles and scored what proved to be the winning run, the blonde southpaw insisted that she would rather pitch a good game that get a big hit or two.

She added, “Even if I get a big hit, the other team can get big hits too. I’d rather pitch a good game and win.”

With a big grin, Koshes also admitted she “sort of” feels extra pressure playing for her father.

“I think he’s tougher on me than the other girls,” she said.

Koshes led off the bottom of the first inning by whacking another opposite field double into left center field. She moved over to third base on Kirby’s sacrifice bunt, but was left stranded there as Golia retired both Marchitto and Zhang on infield pop flies. Gusmano drew a lead off walk to start the bottom of the second inning. After moving to second base on another of Golia’s wild pitches, she was bunted over to third base by Kiley Stackpole and raced home on another Golia wild pitch.

The hosts’ 1-0 lead didn’t last long. Bail led off with a high chopper down the third baseline that Marchitto grabbed but then unloaded a wild throw to first base.  With Basil camped on second base after that error, she moved over to third on Golia’s sacrifice bunt, and scored on Haeckle’s base hit.

Theilgard singled twice and stole a base for the 2-1 losers. In addition to picking up her second win of the playoffs, Koshes stroked a pair of two-baggers and scored a run for Orange.