Kasey Graham waited her turn, and it paid off.

Graham, a senior right-hander for coach Brenda Radabaugh's defending City League champion Clay softball team, led the Eagles' junior varsity team to back-to-back CL titles as a freshman and sophomore.

She bided her time pitching for the JV team while Clay's varsity squad leaned on a pair of outstanding pitchers in Brandy Holmes and Lauren Frank. Holmes is now pitching at Cleveland State University.

Radabaugh wasn't concerned when Holmes and Frank graduated in 2008. The 10th-year coach said she knew she had another ace in the hole in Graham, who earned the CL Pitcher of the Year award at the end of last season.

“I've known since meeting Kasey her freshman year,” Radabaugh said. “She's a very competitive, very composed, very determined player. I used to tease her that I never saw her smile or talk as a freshman. She was just focused on playing the whole time.”

Much of Graham's success as a pitcher can be traced to her father, Bob, who coached her on 10-and-under and 14-and-under teams.

“He was always the hardest on me, and that pushed me harder,” Kasey said. “Once we got to 14 U, there were other pitchers who were better than me, and that made me want to practice harder. We went to the (Oregon) Rec three days a week and he caught for me.”

Eagles fans know by now where to find Bob Graham during every game his daughter pitches.

“He's always there, standing behind the backstop,” Kasey said. “When my change-up isn't working and I'm on the field, he'll be at the backstop showing me what to do and how to fix it. If I throw a bad pitch, he's there to tell me.”

The 5-foot-4 Graham, who led the Eagles to the Division I regional finals last season, had a 14-5 record and earned first-team all-district honors as a junior. She set a school record for strikeouts in a game, fanning 16 batters in a win over Ida, Mich., a year ago.

“I don't know if she's any faster or not this season, but she has great control,” Radabaugh said. “Late in the season last year, her change-up was great for us. She's still got a good change-up. She moves the ball around the plate and keeps the hitters off balance.”

Through Wednesday, Graham was 7-2 with a 1.33 ERA, allowing 44 hits in 68 2/3 innings. She had 73 strikeouts and 16 walks.

Radabaugh said Graham, who also throws a mean riseball and drop-curve, is her own worst critic. That aspect came into play in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Central Catholic, which raised the Eagles' record to 12-3 and 5-0 in the CL.

On the mound, Graham went the distance and gave up five hits with six strikeouts and one walk. At the plate – Graham bats fifth - Radabaugh said her star pitcher was “mad at herself because she struck out in the sixth inning.”

“She is extremely competitive and hard on herself,” the coach said. “She is focused and gets the job done. Kasey is definitely a quiet leader on the team. She's struggling at the plate a little bit right now, but she's a good hitter. She can hit for power, she's just been hitting shots right at people.”

Graham said she sometimes gets frustrated when she feels she isn't performing up to par at the plate or on the mound.

“I just feel like even if I'm pitching, I should contribute to our hits,” she said. “I'm depending on everybody else to get the runs for me when I'm pitching. If we try our hardest and we lose, that's OK. But if we're joking around and not trying, that's not good if we lose.”

Another reason for Graham's success on the mound is the relationship she's established with the Eagles' senior catcher, Sarah Stibaner. The two have been battery mates for five or six years, including travel ball.

“I don't touch the game ball until Sarah touches it first,” Graham said. “She keeps it in her glove until we get on the field. It's a great relationship. She calls all my pitches and we have great chemistry. I think that's why we do so well. I shake her off maybe three times a game.”

Graham, a solid student who also plays trumpet in the Clay band, said she will soon sign a letter of intent to pitch at Owens Community College next season. She plans to study education.

“I want to teach little kids,” Graham said. “I think I'm good with little kids and I think I can coach once I get into a school.”

For now, the senior has every intention of pitching Clay to its first state tournament berth. Last week, the Eagles were ranked No. 1 in the state coaches' poll before losing to fourth-ranked Brunswick, Stow-Monroe Falls, and Pickerington North. No Clay team, in any sport, had ever been ranked No. 1 in the state.

“We have great chemistry,” Graham said. “We all get along and we're all there for each other. If somebody makes an error, someone else is there to pick them up. We want to make it as far as we did last year. Once we get there, we'll have to keep up our confidence and hopefully make it to state.”

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