Jessa Pieters' pitching has been totally on point for Kingsway softball

HADDON HEIGHTS – Jessa Pieters isn’t a strikeout pitcher.

She’s knows it. And she’s fine with it.

That’s because the junior right-hander knows there are more ways to frustrate opposing hitters than just swings and misses.

“If (Kingsway head coach Jill Ward) wants a pitch just off the plate, I’m hitting that spot,” Pieters said. “I’m not a strikeout pitcher and I’ve known that for a while. I also know that groundouts and pop-ups are just as important. I don’t even look at my strikeout stats.”

Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax once said, “I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it.” And who would disagree with fictional catcher Crash Davis who said "Strikeouts are boring ... throw some ground balls, it's more democratic."

Ward says ground-ball outs might not be as flashy, but they count just the same in the out column.

“If we need a ground-ball out, (Pieters) gets it for us,” Ward said. “She just puts the ball in the spot where I call it every time. It’s really mind-blowing, it truly is.”

Pieters was on point again Thursday as she twirled a three-hit shutout, leading the top-ranked Dragons (8-0) to a 1-0 win over Haddon Heights in eight innings. She produced 13 groundouts (along with four strikeouts) en route to her fifth win of the season (second shutout), and lowered her ERA to 0.41.

“She’s extremely strong,” Ward said of her ace. “She’s been doing a lot of work in the gym and it shows out here on the field."

Pieters also benefits from an air-tight defense which showed off the glove work against Heights (4-2-1).

Ward said Pieters' isn't a strikeout pitcher and she's underrated.

One of those things is going to change really soon.

Garnets’ other pitching gem

When Kingsway scheduled Haddon Heights, the Dragons wanted the opportunity to face one of South Jersey’s best pitchers.

They got their wish even when star Sophia Bordi wasn’t in the circle.

Senior southpaw Gracie Granate held the heavy-hitting Kingsway lineup to six hits and stuck out 13 over eight innings.

“(Granate) is definitely the best pitcher we’ve seen by far,” Ward said. “She had really good precision on that outside pitch and it took us a long time to just to that. She also worked her way out of jams with a strikeout.”

Granate, a Central Connecticut State commit, stranded eight Kingsway runners in scoring position as she took a shutout into the eighth.

“They faced one of the best pitchers in South Jersey,” Haddon Heights head coach Michelle Hastings said of Granate. "She has an unbelievable mindset. After being behind Maddie (Clark) and Sophia, she never complained, she just kept working and waiting for her opportunity.

“Her spin, coming from the left side, makes her really tough. That with her velocity, change of speed and her grit, she just doesn’t give in.”

Bordi has been dealing with some soreness in her right elbow, according to Hastings. The Oklahoma commit has been limited to 10 1/3 innings (2 games), which included her 600th career strikeout in a win against West Deptford on Tuesday.

“It’s just precautionary,” Hastings said about Bordi’s absence in the circle. “There’s no reason to push it this early in the season. It’s nothing major.”

That’s evident since Bordi is still playing. She started in centerfield and moved to right at different times during the game, playing all eight innings.

Hastings said there was no timetable for Bordi to return to pitching.

Game notes

Both teams wore uniform jerseys supporting Morgan’s Message, which helps raise awareness for mental health. On the front of the uniforms were the words “You’re not alone” and on the back “Morgan’s Message.”

Haddon Heights’ center fielder Brielle Connor had the game’s web gem, making a diving catch to rob Kingsway of a hit and two runs in the seventh.

The game also had some controversy in the eighth inning. After doubling to lead off the inning, Hannah Weismer tried to steal third. While the throw down to third beat her, Weismer slid around the tag and was ruled safe. Noelle Flail followed with an RBI single.

Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.