ORANGE PARK - Clay High softball coach Matt Lewis has been around the block a few times and the 30-plus-year veteran knows panic is not a good feeling.
"We got our senior pitcher back and that has been a blessing for this team," said Lewis, who has seen a metamorphosis of sorts with his girls' team that has rocked the local softball seen with three impressive wins in a row behind the arm of pitcher McKinsey Bardroff. "She was hurt at the beginning of the season and now is back strong and that has been a big boost of confidence for this team which is very young."
Lewis topped off his three-game win streak with a come-from-behind 7-5 win over rival Ridgeview High last week behind a seven-run explosion in the fifth inning that came by way of seven singles, a double and a triple. Bardroff was on the mound with 10 strikeouts.
"They have got the bats when they want to hit and once one gets on the excitement begins," said Lewis, noting veteran players Kaelye Rouw (2 Run triple), Kendyll Mann (RBI double) along with Kaitlyn Howell created the scoring surge against Ridgeview. "Kaelye watched her sister play big for me, Kendyll has been my best hitter for the last two years and they have been great mentors for the young players on the team."
Lewis, now 5-12, opened the streak with a somewhat surprising 9-5 win over Keystone Heights behind another batting barrage with a four-run third inning with Rouw the top bat with a double to open the inning followed by four singles to give Clay a 7-4 lead. Three more singles in the sixth got the score to 9-5 with Keystone Heights getting a solo homer from Alaina Kinsall in the fifth. Bardroff was on the mound with seven strikeouts.
Against Palatka, singles were the name of the game again with Clay scoring two runs in the first off a walk to Rouw and a single to Howell and a grounder to Bailey Parker. Bardroff was on the mound with nine strikeouts.
Keystone Heights, 8-8, finished off a two-win, two-loss trip to the Kissimmee Klassic over the weekend with wins over Merrit Island and Osceola and losses to West Broward and Lake Wales.
On Monday, Keystone Heights beat Ridgeview 6-2.