Chapelle senior Kayla Giardina led her team to their first softball state championship by striking out 12 batters in a 2-1 victory over John Curtis in the Division I select state final at Frasch Park. Giardina’s strong pitching performance helped secure the win for the Chipmunks, as she held Curtis to just one unearned run in the first inning.
In the fifth inning, Addy Stein made a game-changing play by scoring the tying run for Chapelle. After advancing two bases on an infield single by Kam DiMaggio, Stein was able to capitalize on a defensive error by Curtis that allowed her to reach home plate. Despite early scoring by Curtis on a sacrifice fly by Katie Kempton, Chapelle’s defense tightened up for the remainder of the game and secured their historic win.
Giardina played a key role in the late innings, starting with a double in the sixth inning that set up the go-ahead run for Chapelle. Freshman Bayleigh Hammer, serving as a courtesy runner for Giardina, scored on a sacrifice fly by Mia Impastato to give the Chipmunks the lead. Despite a strong offensive effort from Curtis, Giardina shut down their scoring opportunities and sealed the victory with a swinging strikeout in the final inning.
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