Masyn Kuder, Coal City emerge in battle with Sophie Klawitter, Peotone

COAL CITY – A day removed from a game in which it scratched together a 5-0 win at Peotone but struck out 17 times against Sophie Klawitter, the Coal City softball team knew it would have to take advantage of all scoring opportunities and get a big game out of their own standout junior pitcher, Masyn Kuder, when the two teams met again Wednesday in Coal City.

And they definitely got both.

Kuder tossed a two-hit shutout while the Coaler offense was able to piece together 10 hits against Klawitter, including five in a five-run sixth inning, to pull away for a 7-0 victory.

The Coalers improved to 8-4 and 2-0 in the Illinois Central eight Conference with their regular season sweep over the Blue Devils, who fell to 2-5 and 0-4 in the ICE.

“That’s the best pitcher in the conference I assume [Klawitter], so hats off to her, and then obviously our pitcher competed with her,” Coalers head coach Rodney Monbrum said. “The score was the score, but I thought Masyn hung pitch for pitch, strikeout for strikeout. Maybe not statistically, but whenever we needed it, when they had girls on base and we needed a big pitch from Masyn, she made the pitch.”

Kuder worked around two hits and five walks while piling up eight strikeouts in her victory. Klawitter, a Louisville commit, allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits, two walks and five strikeouts. It was the second shutout in as many days for Kuder, who also was on the winning side of Tuesday’s 5-0 win at Peotone.

“My pitches have been working,” Kuder said. “… My curve has been moving."

The Coalers plated a pair in the second when Sierra Anderson scored on a wild pitch and Kuder helped herself with an opposite field single to right that brought in Juliana Covington. After both pitchers were able to work around a pair of two-on situations in the middle innings, the hosts gave Kuder plenty of breathing room with five more runs.

After Addison Harvey’s sacrifice bunt brought Khloe Picard from first to third, DArcy Ness brought her home with a double before Covington and Madi Petersen each hit two-run singles.

Whether at the plate and on the bases, where Covington and Anderson each had three of the team’s 11 stolen bases, or defensively, where Ness, Anderson and Harvey turned a crucial 5-4-3 double play to get out of the fourth, Monbrum said that as the team started conference play this week, it’s started finding its stride with a new crop of leaders. While almost all of the lineup played significant roles last year, the Coalers had to replace six seniors this season, including four four-year starters.

“I think we’re figuring it out,” Monbrum said. “We’re turning double plays, making the force at third when we need to make the force at third, and I think it’s coming together. The wins are nice, but we’re finally figuring each other out defensively.”

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Peotone's Sophie Klawitter, right, congratulates Layla Johnson after making a catch during a game at Coal City Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Mason Schweizer)

Despite the score, first-year Blue Devils head coach and former assistant Kim Pagliarulo saw her young group that includes more freshmen (three) than seniors (two) make similar strides Wednesday.

“It’s everything – fielding, hitting, how we are as a team, communicating, how the dugout feels," Pagliarulo said. “Everything is getting better, it’s just gonna take some time.”

One of those freshman, second baseman Adyson Kosmos, and Klawitter recorded the two Blue Devils hits. Klawitter, now a three-year starter after a second-team All-State and Daily Journal All-Area sophomore campaign, has “no other level than 100,″ according to Pagliarulo, who also hailed her growing into a leadership role this year.

“I’m so proud of Sophie that she saw that it was needed,” Pagliarulo said. “She’s played softball for years and realizes how important that is, and she’s a wonderful fit for that spot. She’s an amazing leader, has a lot of knowledge but is also just a great teammate.”