Hotop leads Perryville softball team past Kelly

BENTON, Mo. -- It was a nice 24 hours for Perryville High School senior Casey Hotop.

And it wasn't bad for the Pirates softball team, either.

Hotop completed her impressive run with Wednesday's 4-0 shutout of host Kelly. That came on the heels of Tuesday's 8-0 no-hitter against crosstown rival St. Vincent.

"Casey has been pitching very well lately," Perryville coach Jeff Steffens said. "Really, she's pitched very well all year. I'd say there are only two games she deserved to lose."

Hotop, who said she has had several no-hitters, blanked Kelly on five hits. She struck out six and walked one.

Perryville catcher Morgan Baer prepares to force out Kelly baserunner Samantha Ratledge at home during the fifth inning Wednesday in Benton, Mo. Check out more photos from the game at semoball.com. (Laura Simon)

"I felt pretty strong today," Hotop said. "My changeup was working for me."

Hotop also was Perryville's ace last season when the Pirates went 23-4 and lost to Notre Dame in the Class 3 District 1 championship game.

The Pirates began slowly this year but are riding a hot streak that they hope carries them to postseason success. They improved to 12-6.

"We're starting to make a comeback," Perryville senior Brittany Young said. "We had a slow start, but we've definitely picked it up."

Hotop faced her biggest challenge Wednesday in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kelly loaded the bases with one out while trailing 4-0.

Perryville's Casey Hotop delivers to a Kelly batter during Wednesday's game.

But Hotop kept the Hawks off the scoreboard with a strikeout and a ground out.

"It was pretty intense," Hotop said about the jam.

The Pirates flashed impressive defense, which Steffens said has been a key to their resurgence.

"We're making good plays. We're not giving a whole lot of extra outs," Steffens said. "We're jelling right now."

Young made several nice plays at third base, while senior all-state catcher Morgan Baer displayed a powerful and accurate arm that snuffed out an early Kelly scoring opportunity.

Sophomore Jade Rampley tripled with one out in the first inning. She promptly was picked off by Baer, who narrowly missed picking off several other runners.

"She's the best catcher I've seen," Kelly coach Rhonda Ratledge said. "We played travel ball over the summer, and I haven't seen anybody better."

Perryville broke on top with two unearned runs in the fourth inning, taking advantage of two errors while getting just one hit. Hotop had the only RBI in the frame, which came on a ground out.

The Pirates completed the scoring in the fifth inning by getting two runs on three hits.

Baer led off with a single and stole second. Young followed with an RBI double and came around on an RBI single by Destinie Herschbach.

"We took advantage of their mistakes in the fourth inning, and we were able to string a few hits together in the fifth inning," Steffens said.

Kelly had a last chance to break up the shutout in the seventh inning.

Pinch-runner Bridgette Chandler tried to score from first base when a wild throw bounced into right field after a grounder.

Senior Kelsey Stelling fired a strike to Baer, who put down the tag just before Chandler reached the plate.

"The defense has been playing well," Hotop said.

Young and sophomore Kelcie Fahnestock both had two of Perryville's nine hits.

Freshman Kristy Brucker pitched well in defeat. She also went the distance, allowing just the two earned runs while striking out three and walking one.

"My freshman pitcher has done a good job. She's pitched every game," Ratledge said.

Freshman Samantha Ratledge led Kelly with two hits.

The Hawks, who fell to 11-6, started four freshmen and one sophomore, along with just two seniors. Coach Ratledge knows the future is bright.

"We're so young," she said. "I get so aggravated at them sometimes, then I have to step back and say we're such a young team."

Perryville 000 220 0 -- 4 9 2

Kelly 000 000 0 -- 0 5 3

WP -- Casey Hotop. LP -- Kristy Brucker. 3B -- Jade Rampley (K). 2B -- Kelcie Fahnestock (P), Brittany Young (P). Multiple hits -- Perryville: Fahnestock 2-4, Young 2-4. Kelly: Samantha Ratledge 2-3. Records -- Perryville 12-6, Kelly 11-6.