For the fifth straight spring, the Verde Valley Conference softball championship was owned by Camp Verde Middle School.
Eighth-grader Kaycee Williams had a great deal to do with that in the title game April 30, throwing 16 strikeouts and one-hitting host Big Park Community School in the Cowboys’ 8-0 shutout of the Coyotes.
“I’ve been practicing a lot with my dad — pretty much every day for this game,” Williams said after being named tournament Most Valuable Player. “I just focused on my pitching.”
“Today was an exceptional game,” Williams’ father Brian marveled after his daughter and catche Serenity Garcia were named to the all-tournament team, along with Nikki Zielinski and Natalie Monge for Big Park.
Beyond an early bunt by Zielinski, Williams’ focus was flawless. Only Zielinski and fellow Big Park eighth grader Kelsey Woellmer reached base against the Cowboys, with Woellmer getting to third base on two throwing errors by CVMS infielders.
“She came to play,” Cowboys head coach Steve Stone said of Williams. “She’s a talented kid.”
Williams’ high-speed fastballs right up in the eyes of the Big Park hitters quickly snuffed those two threats, as the Coyotes batters never could quite catch up to most of her pitches.
“We lost to the better team today,” said Coyotes head coach Kirk Westervelt, who handed CVMS its only loss of the season March 18 in a surprise run-ruling on the Cowboys’ field, 17-5.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, May 7, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.
