It’s a thrill a minute with new Port Washington softball coach

An assistant coach has taken over the Port Washington High School softball program, and just three games into the season the thrill meter has hit the max.

Kalow Huff, who coached youth ball and was a varsity assistant the past couple of years, succeeds Ben Navigato.

“It’s been a wild start. Three games in, three one-run games that could have gone either way,” Huff said.

After losing in nine innings, 15-14, at West Bend West on April 7 and 1-0 to West Bend East at home last Thursday, the Pirates broke through with a 10-9 home win over Kettle Moraine Lutheran on Monday.

KML scored its ninth run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning before Port got the final out with the bases empty.

“We weren’t chewing on fingernails in the dugout, but with the way things have gone in our first two games, things weren’t over until they were over,” Huff said.

Libby Bates went 3-for-4 with two doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored. Teaghan Mueller-Stenz went 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored. Maile Thompson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Kayden Stasik allowed seven runs, nine hits and four walks while whiffing seven in seven innings.

Huff is originally from Noblesville, Ind., a suburb of Indianapolis, who came to Port Washington for his job as an insurance fraud investigator.

He played baseball through his freshman year in college, then got into coaching softball when his daughter began to play.

“The pace of the game and shortened field — I fell in love with the game,” he said.

Huff already knows Port’s players from past seasons, and that will continue as his seventh-grade daughter and her teammates play together in high school thanks to his youth coaching experience.

The Pirates lost five seniors last year, including catcher Hope Gilhooly, who was fourth in the state with 11 homers and who hit .535. She was named to the North Shore Conference second team for four straight seasons.

Pitcher Sierra Miller led Port with 18 steals and hit .478. She was 4-3 pitching with an earned-run average of 4.1. She was named to the NSC second team twice.

Stasik, a sophomore, is one of Port’s top two pitchers after getting experience last year.

“She had a decent freshman year and a strong summer through travel program, tacking on mph,” Huff said. “She has great control, keeps the ball down and has worked on her changeup.”

Junior Libby Bates is Port’s other primary pitcher, and Huff said senior Savanna Miller and junior Natalie Olson will throw.

Mueller-Stenz, a freshman, takes over at catcher.

“She’s off to a strong start. We’re looking for big things out of her,” Huff said.

Junior Cadence Krueger is at shortstop, replacing graduate Abbey Grisar. Freshman Chloe Cash is at third base, taking over for graduate Paige Scheunemann.

Sophomore Talan Steinert leads a list of players at second base. Senior Shelby Cash returns to first base.

Miller, a co-captain, will play center.

“She’s got a cannon for an arm and all the range in the world,” Huff said.

Bates, the other co-captain, is in left field. Sophomore Jess Anewenter fills in when Bates pitches.

“She earned a spot on the varsity roster with the flexibility she has defensively. She can track any fly ball,” Huff said.

Third-year starter Maile Thompson will play right field. She is the only lefty in the Pirates’ lineup and is a slapper who will bat leadoff. Her three hits on Monday were “all close calls she beat out with her speed,” Huff said.

Thompson, Bates and Mueller-Stenz will bat high in the lineup, with Cash and Miller providing Port’s power.

Port only has two seniors and a mix of ages across the diamond.

“I think the strength of our team is going to be the balance. We’ve got a good mix of experience and youth. We can move girls around without losing a step,” Huff said.

Team goals, he said, are to make a run for a title in the new Glacier Trails Conference, develop physically and mentally, win and have fun.

“It’s a great group of girls. They’re all getting along, both at practices and outside of practices and games,” Huff said.

Against West Bend West in the season opener, Stasik went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Mueller-Stenz had two hits, including a home run, and two RBIs.Thompson had two hits and two RBIs. Bates and Shelby Cash had two hits and one RBI. Miller clocked a solo homer. Shelby and Chloe Cash each had a double.

Stasik allowed 15 runs (11 earned), nine hits and eight walks while whiffing six in eight innings.

The game was tied at 12 after seven innings. Both teams scored two runs in the eighth, and West got one in the ninth.

Two days later, Port’s bats went silent with just four hits against East.

Bates allowed one run, four hits and two walks in seven innings, striking out two.

Port, 1-2, was to host Random Lake on Wednesday, April 15. Port plays at Kewaskum on Tuesday, April 21.