Theis' One-Hitter Handcuffs Eagles

By Rob Potter
JEFFERSONVILLE — May 16, 2000 -- Pitching and base running were the key factors as the Jeffersonville-Youngsville Lady Trojans avenged an earlier loss to Delaware Valley on Friday afternoon.
When the teams met in Callicoon back on April 14, DV prevailed 6-1. But on their home field, the Lady Trojans knocked off DV, 5-1.
With the win, J-Y improved to 6–2, 5–2 Western Sullivan League while DV dropped to 8–2, 8–2 WSL.
Kelly Theis, J-Y’s senior hurler, kept the Lady Eagle hitters off-balance all afternoon. In fact, a bloop single by Theresa Bauer in the seventh inning was the only hit DV could get off of Theis.
“Kelly pitched a good game,” said DV coach John Meyer. “She and [DV pitcher] Mariah [Gillow] are among the top two or three pitchers in the league. They both pitched pretty well today.”
“Kelly pitched well,” added J-Y coach Mike Ellmauer. “The whole team played well. This is our third game this week and we’re getting the rust off from vacation and rainouts. We still have a few cylinders to hit, but we’re getting better.”
The Lady Trojan offense gave Theis what turned out to be all the run support she would need in the third and fourth innings. Already holding a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third, J-Y added another run. Aileen Semenetz lashed a double to left field and then went to third base on a passed ball. She then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Amanda Davis for a 2-0 lead.
J-Y scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. Kristen Erlwein walked, stole second base, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored when Beth Fanning ripped a single back up the middle.
Fanning scored the fourth J-Y run three batters later when she safely slid under Gillow’s attempted tag at the plate on a passed ball.
DV attempted a comeback in its next turn at-bat in the top of the fifth. Bauer walked to begin the frame and stole second base. After one out was recorded, Dara Mahoney smacked a grounder to short. But Semenetz’s throw to first baseman Linnea O’Mara was errant, allowing Mahoney to reach second base and Bauer to score.
But Theis got two of the next three batters to ground out to second baseman Stephanie Johnson to end the Lady Eagle bid to cut the lead any closer.
Erlwein singled and later scored another run in the sixth inning and Theis set the Lady Eagles down in order in both the sixth and seventh to preserve the J-Y victory.
Theis struck out two and walked three to improve to 5-1 on the year, while Gillow dropped to 8-2 despite allowing only six hits. She also walked three batters and recorded eight strikeouts.
“We had some good hits today, but our base running was good as well,” said Ellmauer, who estimated that his team stole about eight bases in the contest. “We live and die by our base running.”
Though disappointed by the loss, Meyer noted that the Lady Eagles may face the Lady Trojans again this season — perhaps in a sectional game.
“They were the better team today,” he said. “Our hats are off to them.”
Semenetz was 2-for-3 with a double and three stolen bases, while Fanning went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Also knocking in a run for the Lady Trojans were Davis and Carrie LaJoie.