Softball: Quinones leads young Ketcham squad to eye-opening win over Yorktown

Gabriella Quinones anxiously awaited her turn in the circle, wishing that she could be the one leading her team against big-name opponents and maneuvering through difficult lineups.

She watched and learned for years behind Skylar Brandemarte, while almost pitching vicariously through the former Roy C. Ketcham softball star, who is only a year older than her.

“Sky was obviously great and you take as much from her as you can, but you can’t wait to get your chance,” said Quinones, whose opportunity comes this spring as a senior. “But, when the time came, I was nervous going into this season. You have big shoes to fill, and you worry a little about how you’re going to handle it.”

Those butterflies returned on Monday before her start against Yorktown High School. Quinones, admittedly, was a bit intimidated and wondered how she and her team would fair against an opponent that recently had vaulted to the top of the LoHud rankings.

“We were excited for the challenge,” she said, “but we hadn’t played in a few days and they were coming off beating Arlington, so I’m sure their confidence level was high.”

Well, now, so is hers.

Quinones struck out six in a complete game, leading Ketcham to a 4-1 road win over Yorktown that surely will raise some eyebrows in the section.

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“We’ve got a long season ahead with some tough games, but we know we're a solid group,” Ketcham coach Scott Satterlee said. “Good teams make routine plays more consistently than other teams, and we're trying to do that. If we stay humble and keep doing the right things, we can be one of the better teams.”

Ketcham has quietly improved in recent years, rebuilding with a talented young core that developed alongside Brandemarte, who was the Journal’s Pitcher of the Year in 2021. That group appears now to be blossoming, which could accelerate the program’s ascension.

After winning its first two games in blowouts, Ketcham on Monday showed poise in staving off a late comeback threat and eking out the victory in a low-scoring game. There also was, of course, the pitcher’s ability to contain a loaded lineup.

Quinones, who features a good screwball and changeup, said the nerves dissipated in the second inning with Ketcham getting on the board first and the warmer weather allowing her to get a good feel for her pitches.

The right-hander allowed only a third-inning home run to Maya Servedio. Despite surrendering six hits, she worked out of jams with the help of a stellar defense.

After that homer tied it at 1, Ketcham quickly retook the lead. Kat Hotle, Jenny Nardelli and Paige Hotle each drove in a run. Shortstop Ava Gambichler turned a double play and right fielder Christiana Simou threw a runner out at second to squelch a potential sixth-inning rally for the Huskers (4-1).

“She has come into her own and she's enjoying these moments,” Satterlee said of Quinones, a Chestnut Hill College commit who is the only senior on his roster. “She has worked incredibly hard on her craft and I couldn't wait to let this kid get out there and show what she can do.”

Gambichler is a standout junior who recently committed to Holy Cross and catcher Paige Hotle is a phenom who earned Journal All-Star honors last year as a seventh-grader. Those two, along with sophomore Kat Hotle and Quinones, headline a team that is looking to build on its run to the Section 1 Class AA quarterfinals last season and become a title contender.

“We've still got things we want to clean up, but we were outstanding defensively,” Quinones said. “Our third game against a really good team, that was a great early-season win for us.”

Satterlee said the group “competes harder than any team I’ve coached” in about 20 years. In addition, Quinones said, there is a good rapport and a collective playfulness that helps maintain a jovial mood.

“The chemistry and work ethic are there, and it’s showing in the games so far,” she said. “A win like this shows that if we’re doing the things we’re supposed to, we can be great. There’s a lot of confidence right now and I think we can go pretty far.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Softball: Quinones leads Ketcham in eye-opening win over Yorktown