Xtreme's Kelsie Traylor & Sara Convoy in the action

Pitching, defense keeps scoring low 

as two state ranked HS teams collide

Kelsie Traylor

Two of the top MD state ranked high school softball teams faced each other last Tuesday.

A close game was expected, and that is exactly what was delivered as the No. 4 Seton Keough Gators overcame the No. 3 Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers by a score of 1-0.

► Pitching is outstanding...

Sara Conboy

The single run of the game crossed the plate in the first inning. Then, catcher Kelsie Traylor, crouched behind the plate, and pitcher, Bailey Rouck, in the circle, settled down to retire 16 of the next 17 batters.

Off the school diamond, Archbishop Spaldings' catcher Kelsie Traylor and second base player Sara Conboy also cover their infield positions on the Harford Xtreme Showcase travel-ball team. For the Cavaliers, Sara and Kelsie bat two and three in the lineup.

Kelsie at Xtreme practice

Through seven innings of Tuesday's game, Bailey and Kelsie exchanged only 84 pitches between them and a Gator batter, while this battery faced more than four hitters only in the first.

Now Seton Keough's Robi Zimmermann was ultra-effective, too. She took a no-hitter into the fifth before Bailey ended it with a double.

► Defense is sharp...

Defense on both sides contributed to the low scoring contest. Kelsie made a diving catch on a pop-up in front of the plate to start the second.

Sara at Xtreme practice

In the seventh, Seton Keough's Hannah Tavik let off with another double, but ended up caught between home and third, when Kelsie dove to tag her out in a one throw rundown. The next batter grounded out to end the six-pitch top of the final inning.

► Rivalry continues...

Seton Keough has lost to Archbishop Spalding in each of the last two Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference finals. It was a different result this past week, however, if just by a single run in the first inning.

CLICK HERE for Kelsie Traylor's profile
CLICK HERE for Sara Conboy's profile

Archbishop Spalding catcher Kelsie Traylor tags out Seton Keough's Hannah Tavik after she was caught in a rundown between third base and home in the seventh inning. ( Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr. / March 27, 2012 )