YORK — Pitcher Stephanie Rundlett and her teammates understand why there might still be doubters about still-unbeaten York.

They know they haven’t played the toughest schedule and won only two games last year.

But after watching Rundlett strike out 15 in a 5-1, five-hit win, Poland Coach Katharine McKay had no doubts.

“She is a good pitcher, probably the best we’ve seen in our conference this year,” McKay said. “She is probably the fastest we’ve seen in our league this year but she moves her pitches well. I think our kids were a little antsy at the plate, too.”

“This was probably only the second winning team we were playing this year so it was a big game,” Rundlett said. “We knew that they would stay in it and they would never let down the whole game.”

The Wildcats (10-0) scored all their runs in the fifth – after leaving the bases loaded in the second and third innings.

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Poland relief pitcher Kolby Woods came on in the third with the bases loaded and no outs and retired seven of the first eight batters she faced.

York senior catcher Kendall Carr broke that trend when she hit a deep ground-rule double to center.

Rundlett followed with an RBI double to score Carr. A key walk by Sophie Stevens, two infield grounders that Poland was unable to turn into outs (the latter at home as Rundlett slid in safely), a two-run single by Julia Harrod and an RBI grounder by Wendy Donnell followed.

Rundlett’s hard curve and rising fastball overpowered the Knights (8-3) early. She struck out the first six Poland batters and allowed two hits and fanned 12 through five innings.

Poland’s batters caught up to Rundlett in the sixth.

Emily Gibson singled and scored from second on a deep single to left-center by Kelsey DeBurra.

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Haley Whitworth followed with a double to right-center. DeBurra was held at third when right fielder Hannah Brown got to the ball quickly and made a strong throw back to the infield.

With two outs, Brown made an even better play when she went back to catch a well-hit fly by Kylie Martin.

It was the type of play York wouldn’t have made last season, Wildcats Coach Mona Blais said.

“They’re playing their position and they’re working hard at what they do and adjusting to their spots,” Blais said. “Hannah made a great catch out there.”

Blais said Rundlett’s eye-popping improvement this year – she struck out 25 in a 10-inning win against Kennebunk – is raising everyone’s game, too.

“As they see Stephanie grow from last year to this year, now they’re starting to make plays,” Blais said. “It’s like, ‘If Steph can do it, I can do it,’ and it just becomes contagious.”

 


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