O’Keefe pitches T-Girls past league-leading Analy

Emily O’Keefe crafted a clutch 2-0 shutout against previous Sonoma County League sole leader Analy on Tuesday in Sebastopol to help the Petaluma T-Girls vault into a tie for first place as the SCL second round began. O’Keefe was masterful in limiting the Lady Tigers to two hits, and Petaluma avenged an earlier loss. The T-Girls played errorless softball in the crucial victory.

The junior veteran took advantage of a economical number of pitches in retiring a very dangerous top of the Analy lineup that averaged .400 for the season. The Lady Tigers sported a 16-3 overall record going into the showdown between the top teams in the SCL.

“They were a bit impatient at the plate today,” O’Keefe said after completing her fast-paced win, “The umpire was calling low strikes, but she was consistent for both teams. That was the best game I have pitched this year by far.”

Petaluma did all its offensive damage in the top of the first inning, when the first three hitters reached Analy pitcher Saja Spearman-Weaver successfully, and the eventual winning run crossed the plate.

Emily Corda led off with a two-strike single and was followed by Kailee Silacci, who sliced a base hit into center field to give the T-Girls a quick scoring opportunity.

Freshman Indya Smith then smoked a sharp line drive up the middle that eluded the Tiger shortstop, and Corda raced in to score.

The T-Girls got some insurance when first baseman Grace Ghiradelli bounced an RBI fielder’s choice to second base. The 2-0 lead would be the only margin that O’Keefe would need the rest of the way.

Analy sent only one batter over the minimum to the plate in the seven innings of work by O’Keefe. The first of the two base hits by the Tigers on the afternoon was wiped out on a slick double play turned in by Silacci at second base to erase Carson Rasmussen, who singled in the bottom of the fourth inning. Silacci grabbed a ground ball and tagged Rasmussen before throwing to first to complete the heads-up twin killing. As the game moved to the later stages, the Analy batters continued to offer on the first pitches thrown by O’Keefe with three winding up as soft fly balls to waiting T-Girl outfielders. Seven batters were retired on strikes, including the final out of the contest.

Petaluma threatened again in the top of the fifth after an error at first base and the second single of the afternoon by Smith. Silacci advanced to third base on a terrific sliding catch by Payton Cords, but it would be as far as Petaluma would advance a base runner the rest of the way.

“I was very proud of the way these girls played today,” said T-Girl coach Kurt Jastrow, “Emily has pitched for me for three seasons, and that is the way she could have looked every time out. She was very impressive today. I am sure we will play Analy again before the end of the season.”

Petaluma played without the services of valuable sophomore shortstop Alexis Silinonte, who has been sidelined with concussion-like symptoms incurred in the last Piner game. Emily Corda filled in for Silinonte in the middle of the T-Girl infield.

The win gives the surging T-Girls a 7-1 record in SCL play, which matches the mark of the previously undefeated Tigers.