Softball: Tempestelli, Kelly shine late as Arlington rallies to beat surging Ketcham

FREEDOM PLAINS - A bit of credit goes to Joe Ruppert for helping bring about a soundtrack so fitting for this scene.

When the Arlington High School baseball star opted to use Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Papa” as his walk-up song, Catherine Kelly figured it was time to change what had been her signature tune for two years. She switched this season to another hip-hop classic: "It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube.

Aside from its melodic Isley Brothers sample being a hit, the song's hook was somewhat foretelling. Saturday was indeed a good day for the softball team, and Kelly helped make it so.

She erased a late two-run deficit and set the stage for teammate Madison Tempestelli, whose bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning lifted Arlington to a 6-5 win over surging Roy C. Ketcham.

Kelly messed around and had the equivalent of a triple double... although, technically, she only doubled once. The center fielder went 4 for 4 with three RBI, reaffirming her "clutch" reputation.

"Today was a great day,” the senior said with a smile. “This was a huge win for us and it's a big momentum boost toward the end of the season.”

Huge, because their victory snapped a 13-game win streak during which rival Ketcham had beaten them twice. Huge, because during an up-and-down season that included a few close losses, being on the favorable end of a dramatic comeback "is a confidence-builder," coach Dave Ballantyne said.

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Both teams wore alternate uniforms and sported pink socks in support of Arlington's Strike Out Cancer event. The school this weekend held multiple cancer-related fundraisers.

"It's very important to raise awareness about it and help in some way," Arlington freshman Sam Harris said.

Ketcham scored twice in the fifth to take a two-run lead, then the Admirals charged back. Kelly lined a double to the right-center that scored Katelyn Wiehe in the bottom of that inning. Wiehe hit a one-out double in the seventh, and Kelly singled to center to send her home with the tying run.

After a pitching change, Alyssa Liguori worked a walk to load the bases and Tempestelli followed with another to end the game. The left fielder took a 3-and-1 offering outside, forcing in Harleigh Whalen with the winning run.

"I was definitely nervous during that at-bat," said the junior, who got her first varsity walkoff. "But it was so exciting after I got 'ball four,' knowing we just beat a great team."

Whalen went 2 for 3 with a walk and three runs for Arlington (10-5). Katherine D'Angelo was 1 for 3 with a double, and Liguori went 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Admirals opened the scoring in the first on Tempestelli's sacrifice fly, but Ketcham (14-2) answered in the third as Ava Gambichler, Paige Hotle and Emma Kozlowski each drove in a run. Arlington tied it in the ensuing frame when Gianna Petrillo and Whalen scored on Kelly's single and a subsequent error. Ketcham went up 5-3 in the fifth on RBI singles from Kaelyn Brenner and Gambichler.

Liguori, Arlington's ace, went five innings and was relieved by Harris, who pitched two scoreless as Arlington rallied.

"It was a little (intimidating) because I know Ketcham was on a long win streak," Harris said. "But it's about getting in the right head space; just focusing on the batter and the next pitch."

With a solid changeup, the right-hander had two strikeouts and induced three groundouts. Harris, Ballantyne said, "has earned the confidence" of the coaching staff to be inserted even in pressure situations and be trusted to execute.

Kelly, of course, earned a similar trust some time ago.

"I was hopeful going into the seventh," the coach said. "I said to myself, 'If we can get the lineup around to Catherine, we have a chance at a really good inning."

A good day, in fact.

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

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Softball: Kelly, Tempestelli deliver late as Arlington edges Ketcham