BRADENTON
The Fort Myers High softball team had a runner on second base with one out in the second inning of a scoreless game against Braden River High in the Class 7A-Region 3 final Friday night.
Pirates catcher Kylie Toler received a pitch from Ali Yawn and rifled a throw to second baseman Myah Moy, who eventually tagged out the base runner during a run down.
After another Green Wave player reached first base on an error later in the inning, Toler picked her off first with Betheney Keen applying the tag.
Members of the Braden River High softball team pose after defeating Fort Myers in the Class 7A-Region 3 final. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI
“She’s got an awesome arm,” Yawn said of Toler. “When you have a runner on base in scoring position, it’s awesome when she gets them out. It definitely helps me, especially when there is no outs in the inning and we’ve got two runners on base and the No. 4 batter up and she gets the girls out. It cancels out their momentum and brings it to us.”
The Pirates went on to defeat Fort Myers, 6-1, to advance to the Class 7A Final 4. Friday at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Braden River will take on Gainesville at 1:30 p.m. in a state semifinal. The winner advances to the 3:05 p.m. final Saturday.
Toler has become a one-girl wrecking crew behind the plate.
Pirates first-year coach Melissa Dowling said Toler has picked off more than one run per game this season, including “a couple against Lakewood Ranch.” When she was an assistant coach a year ago, Dowling remembers Toler ending a game against the Mustangs with a pickoff.
“Those are things you can’t really teach. It’s instinctual,” Dowling said. “She’s got that in her to be able to say, ‘Try to run on me.’ In her head, that’s what she’s thinking: run on me. I’m going to establish myself early.”
Braden River catcher Kylie Toler controls the opposition's running game with her strong arm behind the plate. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI
Had Fort Myers broken through with a run or two early against the Pirates in the regional final, it might have been a different outcome. Instead, Toler’s heroics limited an active Green Wave team to one stolen base, which led to their only run.
Fort Myers had at least one runner on base in each of the first six innings. According to statistics on MaxPreps, Fort Myers was 58-for-58 in stolen bases this season.
“When you take a running game away …” Dowling said. “When they get on and she throws runners out, you limit that opportunity for base runners to get into scoring position, which takes the pressure off our pitcher and defense, ultimately.”
Toler is late to the game when it comes to catching.
During a travel ball tournament in 2010, her team was short on catching, so she was stationed behind the plate, a position she played briefly in rec leagues.
“We ended up winning the tournament and I’ve been catching ever since,” she said. “I love it. I also play third base and I miss playing that. I love catching. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
The most difficult aspect of the position also is the most pleasurable.
“The hardest part about catching is understanding how to work with each pitcher,” Toler said. “Having different pitchers and seeing the different pitches helps a lot with being able to catch any pitch. You have to be able to able to manage a lot just mentally with the pitchers and keeping them under control. It’s also a really fun part. You run a lot of the game, and also that’s really hard.”
“She’s a smart catcher,” Yawn said. “She knows what to throw to batters. She knows not only what to throw them, but what they’ve hit before, what type of batter they are. I trust her behind plate.”
“Not only does she control the tempo of the game as far as calling pitches, but with her arm strength and ability to throw out runners at any given time,” Dowling said. “She throws behind runners, in front of runners, with runners on.”
Dowling said the senior has the “green light” as far as throwing to bases. Without giving away too many secrets, Toler, Keen at first, Moy at second, Linda Ross at short and Casey Farrow at third have their signals.
“Her and Myah and BK have played with each other since travel ball. They do their own little thing,” Dowling said. “Myah is quick on her feet. BK is quick at first base. They get the look, and they know it’s coming.”
The coach not only credits Toler but also the fielders for being in a ready position to take the throws and apply the quick tags.
“With such a great force in Kylie behind the plate, you also have to give credit to Myah, Linda and B.K., because they are in the right position, not getting the obstruction call that umpires like to throw out,” she said. “But boy Kylie, she definitely in big games have thrown out big potential runs.”
“That’s my favorite. I love doing that,” said Toler, who will attend East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee because she wants to attend college out of state. “That’s my favorite part about catching. Any opportunity I see I jump on it.”
The Pirates see an opportunity to win a state title with two more wins, something this group has had its collective eyes on the past few years.
“The job is not done. We reached the state tournament, but we know we can win it,” Dowling said. “Now that’s the goal. We got to where we want to be. All year long we talked about going one step further, one step further. It’s nice. It’s really nice.”
