BEAR CREEK — Behind a 13-strikeout performance from sophomore pitcher Maddie Kaczmarczyk, the Chatham Central softball team beat conference foe Seaforth 6-0 on April 17 and clinched the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A regular season conference title.
The Bears have now won three regular season conference titles in the past four seasons.
Kaczmarczyk’s 13 strikeouts tied a season-high, and on top of her stellar performance on the mound, she notched a team-high two hits (2-for-3) and an RBI. With the help of solid play by the defense behind her, Kaczmarczyk and the Bears didn’t allow a hit until the top of the fourth inning.
“I really had my curveball working tonight which is really good because it’s something I’ve been working on a lot,” Kaczmarczyk said. “The change up wasn’t working as good, so you have to go away from that, and I had my rise ball going too, so that really helped.”
Kaczmarczyk, who pitched seven innings against the Hawks, also pitched five innings against Jordan-Matthews the night before, holding the Jets to just two hits. Chatham Central originally planned to start Kaczmarczyk and make changes if needed, but the need never came.
“The key (against Jordan-Matthews) was keeping the pitch count down,” Chatham Central coach John Warf said. “As a team, manufacturing runs to get up as quick as we did allowed us not to not pitch a whole lot. So, it allowed us to go a little longer tonight.”
Up 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Chatham Central took complete control of the game with a four-run batting turn.
The Bears recorded five hits in the inning, including four in a row, after only notching two leading up to that moment.
Talented Seaforth pitcher Emma Grace Hill did what she could to limit Chatham Central’s production, striking out four batters and allowing two hits in the first three innings. However, the Bears focused in on their plan for her pitches.
“The key to the win tonight was getting on top of the ball,” Chatham Central coach John Warf said. “Staying on top to the middle of the ball. That’s what we were working on because we knew she was going to elevate the pitches, and if we got on the bottom side, they could catch fly balls.”
Senior Caleigh Warf got the fourth-inning explosion started with a single on the first at-bat. After a strikeout, Kaczmarczyk knocked a pitch to center field and reached second base, knocking home Warf before Seaforth’s attempt to throw her out.
Sophomore Madalyn Holton followed that with a double to send Kaczmarczyk home, and after a double from Heidi Vicente Perez in the ensuing at-bat, sophomore Chloe Brewer scored Holton with a single.
Perez made it home on a groundout by sophomore Maeson Smith, ending the streak of hits but giving the Bears a six-run lead.
“I feel like our girls are pretty good offensively with hitting the ball, seeing the ball and seeing where it’s going,” Holton said. “We know that that pitcher knows our weak spots, so we know how to target what our weak spot is and how to hit that ball.”
For Seaforth, it was the first time being shut out this year.
The Hawks, who sit at 8-6 overall as of Sunday, have made a huge jump from 2024 to this spring, already surpassing last year’s win total (6) and on track to finish much higher in the conference (finished sixth last year and sitting in third as of Sunday).
Coming in at 22nd in Sunday’s 2A East RPI rankings, Seaforth is also in position to make the playoffs for the first time.
After a rematch with fourth-place Jordan-Matthews Tuesday and the resuming of a postponed matchup with Southeast Alamance Wednesday, Seaforth will host third-place North Moore Friday to end its regular season.
As for the Bears, there’s not a need to worry about the conference title — not because it’s a weight lifted over their shoulders, but because they feel the job isn’t finished.
“It’s not clinched until next Thursday,” John Warf said. “That’s the mindset.”
Following road trips to Northwood (Tuesday) and Lee County (Wednesday), Chatham Central, sitting at 14-2 overall and 12-0 in conference play as of Sunday, will finish its regular season also hosting North Moore Thursday.
Should the Bears beat Northwood, they’ll have a chance to go undefeated in regular season conference play for the first time since 2019.
“It all goes to the girls,” John Warf said. “Because they had the mindset from the get-go that this was their year, and they said we’re going to work together as a team, and that’s what they’ve done.”
