Visitation tops Anacostia

May 24, 2010

Georgetown Visitation


Georgetown Visitation junior Katie Kolbe couldn't help but notice the eyes in the Anacostia dugout as she took her warmup pitches just before the start of Saturday's Congressional Bank D.C. Softball Classic. None of the Indians had ever swung against a traditional fast-pitch delivery.
Kolbe took that as a cue to empty her entire repertoire, throwing a mix of riseballs, changeups and curveballs en route to striking out 18 as Visitation coasted to a 7-1 victory at Guy Mason Park in Northwest.

"With hitters who aren't as experienced with fast-pitch," Kolbe said, "you get more freedom to throw whatever you want."

Whatever Kolbe was throwing turned out to be just fine for Visitation (16-8). Only three Indians put the ball in play against her in what was an eye-opening experience for Anacostia (7-1).

"I was like, 'Oh my God, she's pitching fast,' " Anacostia junior pitcher Patrice Haney said, recalling watching Kolbe warm up. "I was getting up there trying to slow it down in my mind and tried to hit it."

Even though Visitation and Maret tied St. Stephen's/St. Agnes, a Virginia school, for the Independent Schools League AA Division regular-season title, the Cubs were selected to play in the game because they defeated Maret in the regular season.

Anacostia, meantime, was chosen as the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association participant on the basis of its undefeated league record.

Rain was an unwelcome guest for the second year in a row at the event -- a day-long affair aimed at crowning a city champion across the public-private school divide while attempting to widen the sport's exposure, especially among public school students. While sunny skies prevailed during the preceding all-star game and instructional clinic, showers were intermittent over the championship game's final five innings.

The rain prevented Kolbe from throwing her favorite pitch -- a drop curve -- but she took that as a chance to find another favorite pitch. "Every batter is like a different challenge," she said. "It's fun to experiment with different pitches -- changeups, curves or riseballs. I threw a lot more riseballs than I normally do."

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