Kaitlyn Berkery will graduate from Oak Lawn as a celebrated three-sport athlete who played all four years on the varsity in volleyball, basketball and softball.
The senior pitcher/outfielder added to her collection of memorable moments in a March 24 home game against Bloom. She did it as a pitcher AND as an outfielder.
It began in the top of the sixth inning with the game tied 1-1. Bloom had two runners on with two outs when the next batter hit a fly ball to deep center. Berkery, playing in, had to react quickly.
“When I saw that ball going over my head, I got really nervous,” Berkery said. “I knew it could make or break the game. I just started backpedaling, and by the third step, I knew I could catch it.”
Had there been judges?
“I’m sure it didn’t look very athletic,” Berkery said, laughing. “But hey, last year I just started playing outfield. I don’t even know what would have happened last year. I’ve fallen before in the outfield here, with all the sticks and the leaves.
“I probably wouldn’t have caught it last year. Now, having a whole year under my belt, I feel like I can get anything.”
If her catch didn’t merit a perfect score, her pitching certainly did.
Oak Lawn coach Shawn Neubauer handed her the ball to start the top of the seventh. Berkery struck out two in three scoreless innings before the Spartans won it in the bottom of the ninth.
A fantastic finale. A clutch curtain call. But wait, there’s more.
Neubauer thought her best achievement of all actually came before the game-saving catch and game-clinching pitches.
“What was even more nuts about that were her batting stats that day,” Neubauer said of Berkery. “She was 0-for-2 and struck out right before making that great play in center field.
“Some players might carry it out onto the field. They might make an error after having a not great at-bat. But she was able to clear her mind and do what she needed to do on the diamond.”
Senior first baseman Katie Casey has seen it before — way before.
“We’ve known each other almost our whole lives,” Casey said. “She always had a confidence in her that she would do good things. I always expect her to make all those great plays in the outfield, and when she’s pitching, we all have full trust in her.
“Kaitlyn never lets anything get too deep into her head. Even if she has a bad inning, she’ll take a few seconds to get over it. Then she brushes it off and gets back into the game.”
Through five games this spring, Berkery is hitting .353, with four doubles and three RBIs for Oak Lawn (4-1). She has six putouts and has made no errors in the outfield. As a pitcher, she has 14 strikeouts in 14 innings, serving mostly as a reliever.
During her varsity career, Berkery has played here, there and just about everywhere.
“I remember even playing a couple of innings at first base as a freshman,” Berkery said. “I think the only position I haven’t played is catcher.”
Hey, coach.
“If we asked her to catch, she would catch,” Neubauer said, smiling. “She would look at us strange, but she would do it.”
You bet she would.
“Ha-ha … it would be fun,” Berkery said. “I have joy playing every position. I remember last season, when he told me I was playing shortstop for a game, I was like, ‘Wow.’ But it was fun.
“When I had a ball hit to me, I was like, ‘This is cool. This is so different.’”
What wasn’t different? She caught it.
Tony Baranek is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
