Kiley Sosby gains 1,000th strikeout during no-hitter
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
MOWRYSTOWN — After throwing 3,000-plus pitches and toeing the rubber for four varsity seasons, Whiteoak senior Kiley Sosby entered the state record books by gaining her 1,000th career strikeout and tossing a no-hitter along the way.
Sosby began her varsity career as the Whiteoak starting pitcher her freshman season, and four long years later, she's ending her high school career by pitching her best softball to date, as the Lady 'Cats defeated the visiting Ripley Lady Blue Jays, 13-0 at WHS.
The Southern Hills Athletic Conference win by the Lady 'Cats (10-1) keeps them in the race for the top spot of the conference, but for WHS on Tuesday night, it was about celebrating the accomplishments of the two-time All-Ohio pitcher, who earned her 1,000th strikeout in the third inning, needing seven before the game began.
"It is a relief, but I know there is more to accomplish," Sosby said of the 1,000th strikeout. "My goal entering high school was to get 250 strikeouts every year, and once I did that my freshman year, I just kept setting the goal higher and higher.
"The support from my teammates has really helped me get there."
Sosby has had two catchers at Whiteoak in four seasons, with Parr catching her during their junior and senior seasons, and Mikayla Burns during Sosby's freshman and sophomore seasons.
"It was hard to adjust from Mikayla to Jayde because they are different types of catchers, and Jayde is Jayde," Sosby said. "Just sitting down with Jayde and working hard together, we became not just catcher-pitcher, we became sisters. That really helped us get to this point."
Sosby struck out the first two Ripley batters she faced in the top of the first inning, having an 0-2 count on each of the four total batters she took on in the opening inning. With the first batter she faced, the senior ace took just four pitches for the first strikeout.
It was three pitches and a called third strike that put her five strikeouts away from the milestone, and after allowing an infield base hit, Sosby took just another four pitches to gain her third strikeout of the inning.
The second inning saw the Lady Blue Jays go three up, three down as they trailed by five runs with the Lady 'Cats scoring five runs, two hits, one hit batter and two walks, but more on that later.
With Sosby in the circle in the second inning, RHS lined out to first base for the first out of the inning, followed by Sosby striking out the next two batters on a combined seven pitches.
Then came the inning that was four years in the making as Sosby struck out the first batter on four pitches, and after earning the first strike looking and strike two with a swing, strikeout No. 1,000 came with the batter swinging and missing. Sosby had a mild fist pump and a smile as she embraced her teammates, including a hug from her two-year catcher Jayde Parr.
"This was the goal she set for herself when she was a freshman," WHS head coach Trisha Hauke said. "She achieved that goal.
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"It is awesome to be here because I can remember when she reached her 500th strikeout during a tournament game her sophomore year, and last year she reached her 750th during a league game vs. Fayetteville. So watching all of those milestones to get to where she needed to be, it was a privilege to be a part of it."
Following the 1,000th strikeout, Sosby struck out five of the final seven batters she faced.
"I just want to thank my family, pitching coach Chris Miner and my amazing teammates, became without them I wouldn't have been able to achieve this," Sosby said.
From there, the game was all Whiteoak, as they eventually won via the run-rule.
Sosby finished the game with five innings pitched, throwing 52 pitches, 50 for strikes, with one base runner reaching via infield error in the first inning. The senior totaled 12 strikeouts. She allowed no hits and walked none, but with the runner taking base on an error, the perfect game bid was erased.
Then there was the matter of the Lady 'Cats offense, as they collected 13 runs on five hits, nine walks and three errors against two Ripley pitchers in the five-inning game.
As for the Lady 'Cats' offense, the first inning saw them plate five runs, beginning with Sosby leading off by being hit by a pitch. Jaycie Parr singled to centerfield, and after two strikeouts Jayde Parr and Chelsea Chisman walked, with Chisman gaining an RBI on a bases-loaded walk.
Misty McClure reached on an error, with two runs crossing the plate. The two-out scoring drive continued with Courtney Gross batting in two runs of her own for the 5-0 score.
WHS added two more runs in the second with Alexis Jones batting in Jaycie Parr and Sosby scoring on a fielder's choice.
The Lady Wildcats led 7-0 to start the fourth and left the inning with the aforementioned 13-run lead by scoring six runs as Sosby, Ashleigh Harless, Jones, Jayde Parr, Chisman and McClure all crossed the plate.
WHS will play again on Wednesday, finishing the remainder of the game against Eastern Brown. The game will start in the second inning.
Sosby began her varsity career as the Whiteoak starting pitcher her freshman season, and four long years later, she's ending her high school career by pitching her best softball to date, as the Lady 'Cats defeated the visiting Ripley Lady Blue Jays, 13-0 at WHS.
The Southern Hills Athletic Conference win by the Lady 'Cats (10-1) keeps them in the race for the top spot of the conference, but for WHS on Tuesday night, it was about celebrating the accomplishments of the two-time All-Ohio pitcher, who earned her 1,000th strikeout in the third inning, needing seven before the game began.
"It is a relief, but I know there is more to accomplish," Sosby said of the 1,000th strikeout. "My goal entering high school was to get 250 strikeouts every year, and once I did that my freshman year, I just kept setting the goal higher and higher.
"The support from my teammates has really helped me get there."
Sosby has had two catchers at Whiteoak in four seasons, with Parr catching her during their junior and senior seasons, and Mikayla Burns during Sosby's freshman and sophomore seasons.
"It was hard to adjust from Mikayla to Jayde because they are different types of catchers, and Jayde is Jayde," Sosby said. "Just sitting down with Jayde and working hard together, we became not just catcher-pitcher, we became sisters. That really helped us get to this point."
Sosby struck out the first two Ripley batters she faced in the top of the first inning, having an 0-2 count on each of the four total batters she took on in the opening inning. With the first batter she faced, the senior ace took just four pitches for the first strikeout.
It was three pitches and a called third strike that put her five strikeouts away from the milestone, and after allowing an infield base hit, Sosby took just another four pitches to gain her third strikeout of the inning.
The second inning saw the Lady Blue Jays go three up, three down as they trailed by five runs with the Lady 'Cats scoring five runs, two hits, one hit batter and two walks, but more on that later.
With Sosby in the circle in the second inning, RHS lined out to first base for the first out of the inning, followed by Sosby striking out the next two batters on a combined seven pitches.
Then came the inning that was four years in the making as Sosby struck out the first batter on four pitches, and after earning the first strike looking and strike two with a swing, strikeout No. 1,000 came with the batter swinging and missing. Sosby had a mild fist pump and a smile as she embraced her teammates, including a hug from her two-year catcher Jayde Parr.
"This was the goal she set for herself when she was a freshman," WHS head coach Trisha Hauke said. "She achieved that goal.
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"It is awesome to be here because I can remember when she reached her 500th strikeout during a tournament game her sophomore year, and last year she reached her 750th during a league game vs. Fayetteville. So watching all of those milestones to get to where she needed to be, it was a privilege to be a part of it."
Following the 1,000th strikeout, Sosby struck out five of the final seven batters she faced.
"I just want to thank my family, pitching coach Chris Miner and my amazing teammates, became without them I wouldn't have been able to achieve this," Sosby said.
From there, the game was all Whiteoak, as they eventually won via the run-rule.
Sosby finished the game with five innings pitched, throwing 52 pitches, 50 for strikes, with one base runner reaching via infield error in the first inning. The senior totaled 12 strikeouts. She allowed no hits and walked none, but with the runner taking base on an error, the perfect game bid was erased.
Then there was the matter of the Lady 'Cats offense, as they collected 13 runs on five hits, nine walks and three errors against two Ripley pitchers in the five-inning game.
As for the Lady 'Cats' offense, the first inning saw them plate five runs, beginning with Sosby leading off by being hit by a pitch. Jaycie Parr singled to centerfield, and after two strikeouts Jayde Parr and Chelsea Chisman walked, with Chisman gaining an RBI on a bases-loaded walk.
Misty McClure reached on an error, with two runs crossing the plate. The two-out scoring drive continued with Courtney Gross batting in two runs of her own for the 5-0 score.
WHS added two more runs in the second with Alexis Jones batting in Jaycie Parr and Sosby scoring on a fielder's choice.
The Lady Wildcats led 7-0 to start the fourth and left the inning with the aforementioned 13-run lead by scoring six runs as Sosby, Ashleigh Harless, Jones, Jayde Parr, Chisman and McClure all crossed the plate.
WHS will play again on Wednesday, finishing the remainder of the game against Eastern Brown. The game will start in the second inning.