Lekki fills the void on the mound

by Eric Keppeler
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, May 24, 2007

When the 2007 season softball started, Niagara-Wheatfield coach Eric Belter had a pretty good idea that his team was going to be able to hit the ball. He knew the Falcons had plenty of experience and were solid fielders. The only real question he had was at pitcher.

Junior Kaylee Lekki answered that question in a hurry.

Following the graduation of all-star pitcher Andrea Cornelius last year, the Falcons had to fill a void on the hill. Belter originally planned to alternate Ashley Toth and Lekki between first base and pitcher, but it quickly became apparent that Toth was terrific at first and Lekki belonged in the circle.

“Early on, Kaylee stepped up,” Belter said. “We kept giving her the ball, and Ashley was doing a great job at first base. Both girls were thriving in the positions they were in, so we decided to stick with it, and it’s worked out well for us. Kaylee’s been a workhorse – she’s been the savior of our season.”

After a rough start, Lekki settled down and quickly evolved into one of the top pitchers in the Niagara Frontier League

At the beginning of the season, Kaylee thought she might prefer first base, but now she knows she wants to pitch.

“I thought we were going to split the time, but then I really got into it,” Lekki said. “In the first game of the season, I did terrible, but then it hit me that I really had to step up. I saw that the team needed a consistent pitcher. Ashley was at first, so I figured if I didn’t step up, who would?”

Lekki’s pitching was a big reason the Falcons were able to maintain their fairly high standards in the NFL. N-W went 10-4 in the league for the second straight season and wound up with consecutive third-place finishes in the league.

They lost twice during the season to North Tonawanda and once each to Kenmore West and Lockport. The Falcons were able to avenge the loss to league champion Kenmore West, beating the Blue Devils 4-1 in eight innings last week in the regular season finale.

The Blue Devils had already clinched the league title, but they were playing for an undefeated league season. And Belter figures he’ll probably see Kenmore West – a perennial state contender – again.

“We have all the respect in the world for Kenmore West,” Belter said. “That’s a program that everybody in Western New York wants to emulate. To be able to keep them from going undefeated in the league is a big thing for us. It doesn’t hurt them, but it’s a good momentum builder for us going into sectionals.”

The Section VI playoffs are scheduled to begin today, and Lekki figures that the win over West should give the team a big boost.

“We had nothing to lose, so we were really loose,” Lekki said. “Everyone played together. It gives us a lot of confidence for the sectional games.”