PAL softball: Hillsdale’s Alexis Kuka celebrates birthday with dominant pitching performance
SAN MATEO — Hillsdale junior Alexis Kuka couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift.
The pitcher celebrated her 17th birthday on Thursday by dominating in the pitcher’s circle en-route to a 7-1 win over Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division rival Burlingame.
Kuka struck out nine batters and allowed just one run in seven innings as the right-hander picked up her 16th win of the season.
“The only thing better would have been to pitch a shutout,” Kuka said. “I knew Burlingame was coming off some good wins and they’re a tough team to beat. I just brought my best and we came out with a win.”
Hillsdale star senior Claire Shelton had three RBIs and two triples. Freshman Lola Jones had an RBI.
The Fighting Knights, who won their 20th game of their season, are hoping to build a strong enough resume to be selected to the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs.
Kuka believes Hillsdale has the talent to compete with West Catholic Athletic League powerhouses St. Francis and Archbishop Mitty.
“We have a really strong group this year,” Kuka said. “We’re out for blood.”
The last time Hillsdale and Burlingame played each other, the Knights gritted out a 1-0 win.
But on Thursday, Hillsdale’s offense didn’t struggle the way it did a month ago.
The San Mateo school put a run on the board in the first inning, but blew the game open in the second.
With the bases loaded, Shelton hit a triple to deep center field. As the ball bounced around Burlingame outfielders, Liana Mack, Sophia Shelton and Mia DeMartini all crossed home plate.
Shelton looked like she was going to round the bases to try to complete the inside the park grand slam, but head coach Nick Dykes held her at third and settled to give Hillsdale a 4-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Fighting Knights scored on an error that brought Shelton home from third base. In the next at-bat, Isabelle Quinn made it home on a wild pitch that extended the Hillsdale lead to 6-0.
“We had three errors today and we had none the last time we played them,” said Burlingame coach Albert Del Rosso. “That says it all right there.”
The Panthers scored their lone run of the game in the fifth after Sienna Fuss knocked in Lily Grenier to cut the deficit to five runs.
But Kuka didn’t let Burlingame climb back.
The junior finished the game allowing just a hit in the sixth and seventh innings.
“Alexis did really well today,” Dykes said. “She did a really good job of locating her pitches and moving them around.”
Shelton’s bat stayed hot as she has now recorded a hit in nine of her last 10 games. The senior leads the PAL Bay Division in RBIs (30) and stolen bases (17).
Dykes believes she should be in strong consideration for PAL Player of the Year.
“I believe she is a top-three player in our league,” he said. “There’s not another shortstop in the PAL that does what she does. She’s having a phenomenal year.”
An early season loss to first-place Carlmont has Hillsdale below the Belmont school in the league standings even though the two teams both have a 8-2 record in league play.
Hillsdale improved to 20-3. Burlingame dropped to 9-9, 4-6.
With four games left in the regular season, the Fighting Knights need to close out their remaining schedule strong and hope Carlmont drops a game before the season ends to be eligible for a league championship.
“It would be absolutely awesome to end the regular season with a league title,” Kuka said. “That was our goal to begin the season and hopefully we do that and make it to open CCS.”
