SOUTHERN SECTION 4-A SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Kennedy Wins on Longeway’s No-Hitter

The off-speed pitching of Villa Park High School’s Munique Hernandez was enough to slow Kennedy’s hitters, though not enough to stop them.

But Kennedy’s Cheryl Longeway certainly found a way to stop the Villa Park hitters.

Longeway pitched a no-hitter and Kennedy scored in the fourth inning for a 1-0 victory in a Southern Section 4-A quarterfinal game.

Villa Park managed only one baserunner and she reached, on Kennedy’s sole error, in the first inning but Villa Park couldn’t bring her home.

Kennedy (24-3-1) advanced to the semifinals for the third consecutive season. The Fighting Irish will play Charter Oak Tuesday.

Longeway struck out seven and improved her record to 20-3-1.

“I didn’t expect that we would be banging the ball around on her,” Villa Park Coach Dave Shelton. “I knew we would have trouble getting runners on because she’s good. She’s very good.”

Villa Park managed only one baserunner, Tracey Colombo, who reached on Kennedy’s only error in the first inning. Colombo failed to score, though, and the Spartans ended the season at 15-11-1.

Kennedy had a little trouble on offense. The Fighting Irish continually swung early against Hernandez (13-4-1), who put together a three-hitter with six strikeouts.

“Their pitcher is (who) really stopped us,” Kennedy Coach Sue Hall said. “If they had a different pitcher, any other person, I think we could have scored a lot more. Her pitch is an off-speed pitch almost to begin with. Then, when she throws her off-speed, it’s really bad. My girls weren’t used to it. We didn’t have the (pitching) machine down that low.”

Kennedy catcher Stefanie Hill, who got a single and scored the winning run, said Hernandez’s lack of speed threw her off.

“In the warm-ups she sounded really fast,” Hill said. “The (catcher’s) glove was popping, but then when we got up there, I don’t know if she was nervous or what, but she was slow. We’re used to hitting fast pitchers, so it’s hard.”

Her pitches only appear slow.

“Every one of Munique’s pitches move and that’s why they didn’t hit her,” Shelton said. “They didn’t not hit her because the ball was too slow for them. They didn’t hit her because the ball moves.”

Kennedy’s hitters didn’t hit Hernandez as much as they anticipated, but they made enough contact, along with almost flawless defense, to win.

The Fighting Irish scored in the top of the fourth with the help of a Villa Park error.

Hill singled and stole second. Longeway then helped herself with a single to center field. Center fielder Tracey Colombo misplayed Longeway’s low one-hopper and let the ball get under her glove for an error that allowed Hill to score.