Pitcher plays key role as Deer Lakes tops Valley, clinches share of section title

By: Michael Love
Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 9:01 PM

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Maddie Kee was key for the Deer Lakes softball team in its Section 1-3A clash at rival Valley on Thursday afternoon.

Under sunny skies, Kee led the way at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. She also scattered four hits in the pitching circle and walked three while striking out 11 as the Lancers scored a 6-3 victory to clinch at least a share of the section title.

“We just wanted to come out strong and focused because we knew they were going to do the same and come out with a lot of energy,” said Kee, who paced an eight-hit Deer Lakes attack. “There was so much on the line for both teams. We had a lot of motivation, and it was nice to get this win.”

Deer Lakes, 6-0 in section play, will close out its section slate at home against North Catholic on Monday and at Derry on Tuesday before finishing the regular season with a gauntlet of games against Shaler (May 6), Fox Chapel (May 9) and Knoch (May 11).

“We have a very tough schedule ahead of us,” Deer Lakes coach Rick Cerra said. “We have a lot of softball next week, and we have to be ready to play our best. This is good for us to play a lot of high-quality teams like we did today. The girls are excited, and they want to play these strong teams.”

Valley (8-3, 5-2) came into the game hoping to keep pace with Deer Lakes at the top of the section standings. The Vikings also had a little revenge on their minds after the Lancers got the better of them, 7-0, when the teams met April 4.

The Vikings close out section play Monday with a road game against Shady Side Academy. Valley hosts Kiski Area on Friday.

Cerra said his Lancers remembered last year’s matchup at Valley, a 6-3 loss that played heavily into Deer Lakes losing out on the section title by one game to North Catholic.

It looked as if Deer Lakes might run away with Thursday’s game early as it scored a pair of runs in the top of the first on Kee’s two-run double and three more in the top of the second on RBIs from Kee, Lydia Guthrie and Keeghan Cook to lead 5-0.

Guthrie went 2 for 4 and scored two runs.

Valley got back in the game with a pair of runs in the second and one more in the third to close the gap to two.

Vikings cleanup hitter Haley Demharter paced the rally, and she finished 2 for 3 with a home run and a pair of RBIs. Valley also got hits from leadoff hitter Leah Taliani and Ryleigh Kasten.

“We had no choice but to try and build an early lead,” Cerra said. “We knew coming in that (Valley coach) Carrol (Perroz) was going to have her team ready. With each inning that passed where we didn’t score, I got more and more concerned because you can’t let a team like that stay in the game, especially a game like today.

“We both came in knowing how big this game was. We knew it was going to be tough. We still had the burn from last year’s game here.”

Deer Lakes added an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Guthrie singled, went to third on a groundout from Shayne Cerra and scored on a throwing error.

Valley had one last shot in the bottom of the seventh, but Kee retired the Vikings in order to put the game on ice.

Morgan Dunkel took the loss for the Vikings. She struck out five and walked two. Of the six Deer Lakes runs, only three were earned.

“I told the girls after the game I am so very proud of them,” Perroz said. “Deer Lakes scored really quick early on, but the girls knew there was a lot of game left, and they didn’t put their heads down. They kept battling.

“Deer Lakes is a good team, so we couldn’t afford to give them some free things, extra outs and stuff like that. They took advantage of anything extra that they got. We had a few miscues on the basepaths, and they took advantage of that as well. We have some things to clean up, but hats off to Deer Lakes. They are undefeated in the section for a reason.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Valley