Published: May 20, 2008 11:09 pm            

HS SOFTBALL: Kenmore West shuts down NFHS

NIAGARA FALLS — Kaley Vazquez admitted she was nervous. It clearly showed when the sophomore dropped an easy fly ball in right field in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Just a few innings later, though, it was as if those nerves disappeared. Vazquez ripped a single back up the middle in the 10th inning to bring around Danielle Frye for the go-ahead run and freshman pitcher Lexy Santa Maria did the rest as Kenmore West topped host Niagara Falls, 5-4 in a key Niagara Frontier League softball game Tuesday. The contest was the completion of a game suspended by weather last week.

“I knew I had to redeem myself,” Vazquez said. “I wanted to get the big hit to get Danielle in. I had two strikes on me, but I told myself I was hitting the next pitch no matter what.”

Niagara Falls sophomore pitcher Holly Conte got out of the 10th without any more damage after retiring the next three batters, but the Falls was sat down in order by Santa Maria in its final at-bat. The win clinched at least a share of a third consecutive NFL title for the Blue Devils, who improved to 11-2 in the league.

“It feels great,” Vazquez said. “A lot of people were saying that we graduated too many seniors from last year. It feel good to prove them wrong.”

It didn’t hurt that West found its ace in Santa Maria, who was nothing short of spectacular once again. In the six innings played Tuesday, the right-hander allowed only one hit and struck out six batters. She also overcame two errors in the seventh by getting a double play to end the frame and send the game to extra innings.

“Lexy deserves a ton of the credit,” Ken West coach Matt Chimera said. “She threw six shutout innings even though we gave them a couple extra chances, which is unlike us. She came through all day.”

The Falls (9-3 NFL) held a 4-3 lead when play was suspended last week, thanks in large part to a huge two-run single from Lenee Gray. That lead was quickly erased, though, when Danielle Frye roped an RBI single in the fourth to tie the game. Frye reached base four times, while Vazquez had two RBIs in the win.

Conte, who relieved starter Katie Syruws in the third inning last week, allowed only two hits the rest of the way. She also had two hits at the plate. Dom Mantell and Syruws added an RBI each, but those were few and far between for NFHS.

“We came in with four runs and we ended with four runs — it’s as simple as that,” Falls coach Beth Bullock said. “It ended up being a pitcher’s duel out there and we didn’t come up with the hit when we needed it.”

West can win the title outright today when it travels to Fairmont Park to take on Niagara-Wheatfield. NFHS has to win its final two games and hope N-W can knock off the Blue Devils today.

Contact reporter Nate Beutel at 282-2311, ext. 2262.

        

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