Her pitching hasn’t been perfect through five games this season, but pretty darn close as it gets.
In those girls high-school softball contests, hard-throwing Bishop O’Connell Knights junior right-hander Katie Kutz has a 5-0 record with four shutouts. In 33 innings she has allowed just five hits and only one earned run, while striking out 79 batters and walking but one. She has hurled three no-hitters and has thrown five complete games.
Her individual game strikeout totals include a high of 22 with a low of 10. She fanned 16 twice and 15 once.
Kutz has helped defending Division I private-school state champion O’Connell to a 5-0 record, including an extra-inning 2-1 win in nine frames over private-school rival and perennial power Greenbrier Christian Academy.
With the bat, Kutz has been a standout, as well. In five games, she’s batting .450 with eight RBI, a home run, two triples and one double.
For her efforts, Kutz recently was chosen the National High School Player of the Week by Extra Inning Softball.Kutz has verbally committed to play college softball at Oklahoma State.
O’Connell’s other victories have been over Nansemond-Suffolk, 2-0, St. John’s, 11-1, Bishop Ireton, 21-0, and Elizabeth Seton, 1-0.
Among O’Connell’s other top hitters have been Sofia Anderson, Sasa Groome, Katie Sullivan, Ari Clark, Alyssa Dichard, Bri Lenz and Sara Rollins.