Geneva’s McCaffrey finishing strong

Kelly McCaffrey is putting together an impressive swan song.

Through Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Batavia, the senior right-hander had pitched all but 11 innings the Geneva softball team had played in this, her fourth season on varsity.

“I think this year, just being the only pitcher and getting into that role and mindset, she’s just had a great year,” said Clare Stribling, who is catching McCaffrey for the third season.

“Kelly did a good job of hitting her spots (Wednesday). What was really good, even though a girl would hit it, she’d come right back and get a ground out or strike somebody out right after that. We knew that they were gonna hit.”

McCaffrey’s numbers are impressive. She was 14-6 with a 1.73 ERA in her 129⅔ innings of work, allowing just 102 hits and 35 walks to go with 109 strikeouts.

“She’s been splitting time the last two years (when she went 8-8 and 11-11),” coach Greg Dierks said. “I am sure Kelly’s improvement has something to do with getting better over time, maturing as a pitcher, developing more pitches … all the normal things that happen if you work at your craft.

“I also think that pitching on a regular basis has helped her find her groove and stay in it. She has been very sharp as of late.”

Opponents were hitting .206 against McCaffrey and Wednesday’s win was her fifth shutout of the season. She has one no-hitter but it was obvious after the game she’s well aware she’s not doing it alone. Of the 39 runs she had allowed in those 20 decisions, only seven were unearned.

“I think, as a team, it was one of our best games,” she said. “They put the ball in play a lot and Maura (Bochte in right field) had some nice catches, Bridget (Weitzel in center) had a good throw (that cut down a runner at the plate) and (shortstop) Elena (Wright) had a nice stop. We didn’t let little things affect us. It was a really nice job.”

Dierks and McCaffrey were very much aware that Batavia came in with a strong hitting team. The Bulldogs came in averaging 5.3 runs-per-game and had a team batting average that topped .320.

The senior said she doesn’t really have an out pitch but relies on movement on her pitching and moving their location.

“I like going inside with the screwball (which breaks inside to right-handed hitters) and outside with the curve,” she said. “And then maybe like up and down (in the strike zone) a couple times.”

Batavia coach Ashley Szymski said McCaffrey did a good job of keeping the Bulldog hitters off stride.

“McCaffrey pitched a great game. She got a bunch of our hitters to pop up, which is always a nice out,” Szymski said. “She uses good placement. She puts it in a good spot. She doesn’t, typically, pitch to the same spot multiple times in a row so that a hitter is now ready for it. She keeps the movement in and out well and that keeps you on your toes because you don’t know where it’s going.”

This season will also be her last for softball, said McCaffrey, who plans to major in architecture next year at Miami (Ohio) University.

“I picked it because of the academics,” she said, but did acknowledge she’s enjoying her senior year.

“It’s a lot more fun when I get to be out there every game.”

It shows.

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