8th grader Kinsey Lister pitching star at Monomoy in seventh straight win

Editor's note: A correction was made to a name spelling on May 7, 2024.

The weather is not the only thing getting warmer as the Monomoy softball team continues to stay hot.

Monomoy defeated Sturgis 15-2 on Monday for its seventh straight win.

The Sharks have earned the title as the best softball team on Cape Cod, for now. Not only do they have the longest win streak, but they also have the most wins (10) and the fewest losses (1).

They have scored double digit runs in seven games and have held their opponents to four or fewer runs in eight games.

The Sharks finished last season with 10 wins, and have already reached that mark with nine regular season games left.

Chemistry is starting to click

Assistant head coach Carolyn Barr , who filled in for head coach Stacy Yarnall (illness) in the win over Sturgis, said the team chemistry is starting to click.

“Our defense is doing a great job and our pitching is keeping the walks down, which is important to allow our defense to make plays, which they’re making,” Barr said.

One of those pitchers is Kinsey Lister.

Kinsey Lister Leads on the Mound

Lister is the youngest player on the Sharks' roster, but you wouldn’t know that by watching her on the mound.

In the first inning against Sturgis, Lister gave up two earned runs, but after that, something switched.

“I think she just found her rhythm,” Sturgis head coach TJ Georgi said. “The changeup started working. She threw a great game. The girls were battling, but you don’t always see that quite good of pitching on the Cape.”

Those were the only two runs Lister gave up as she only allowed two hits, four walks and struck out eight for the Sharks win.

“Just like flipping the next page of a book. You just have to go up there and forget all about it (first inning) and just be your best,” Lister said.

An eighth grader on the varsity team

Lister was also effective at the plate as she went 2-for-2 with four runs scored. She reached base twice on hit-by-pitches.

Being an eighth grader on a varsity team is not easy, but you couldn’t tell from watching Lister play.

“I feel like it's nerve-wracking, but exciting at the same time, that I get such a big opportunity,” Lister said.

The Sharks only have one senior (Abigail Gates), but they do have players who have stepped up as leaders with their play on the field.

Meet Kiley Mawn.

Mawn finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate with six RBIs, one run scored, and two triples.

“Sooooo….when I see it (the ball) in the air, I try to just run it out because sometimes I do get caught,” Mawn said about her two triples. “I look at the first base coach and then obviously if it's that deep, I go two (second base), and then I see where the ball is. If the coach really doesn’t say anything, I’ll try to see how fast I am and see if I can make it further.”

Shark energy

Mawn said the Sharks' energy has been the key to success so far in the season.

In the win over Sturgis, that energy showed as the players cheered on every batter who stepped up to the plate. They gave high-fives to each other when they came off the field to the dugout. And if a play didn’t go their way, they gave words of encouragement.

“I feel like we just had to stay positive and make sure that we didn’t get down in the dumps,” Lister said. “When you have that negative attitude, you can’t really come back from that.”

To keep the win streak going, the Sharks have their work cut out for them. Not because of who they’re playing, but because they play four games in five days this week.

“Staying locked in and doing it game-by-game, inning-by-inning, and pitch-by-pitch,” Mawn said. “Even though we might be tired because we have four (games), just keep the energy up.”

Sturgis Rebuilding

Sturgis is 5-6 on the season, but four of its losses have been to Monomoy and Falmouth (two each), the two teams with the best records on Cape Cod.

Georgi said he wants Sturgis to play teams like Monomoy.

“You always want competition, right? The better the competition, the better you grow,” Georgi said.

Sturgis is in a rebuilding year with one senior and a lot of underclassmen, but the season is still young and Sturgis still has eight games left in the regular season.

Georgi wants to work on the basics with his team moving forward.

“We’re just working on the fundamentals, trying to grow the game because we have a lot of girls out there for the first time,” Georgi said.

Contact Courtney Jacobs at cjacobs@capecodonline.com . Follow him on X/Twitter: @CJ_Journalist.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: 8th grader Kinsey Lister pitching star at Monomoy in seventh straight win