Western-Star.com

Three strikes and you're out. For the Lebanon softball team in 2008, it's one, two, three different pitchers who will strike you out when you go up against the Warriors.

Lebanon's triad of pitchers — senior Chelsea Kaunert, junior Faith Tessmer and sophomore Bethany Campbell — have posted remarkable numbers through nine games.

In 60 total innings, they've surrendered just two earned runs, given up just 18 hits (an .097 batting average against) and walked only eight batters while striking out 73.

Seven of the outings have been shutouts, and three of them have been no-hitters, one by each pitcher.

"Without a doubt, all three of them are throwing great right now," Lebanon coach Brian Kindell said. "It's a real luxury to have three pitchers of their caliber.

"As the season grows, the luxury will show itself more and more. As the hitting begins to catch up with pitching, now that we're in the third week of the season, we'll be able to throw two kids out there in one game to keep good offensive teams off-balance. It's tough to get good hitters out the third or fourth time through the lineup, but we'll be able to throw a new pitcher out there at the end of games who has a different style. It gives us an advantage."

Kaunert, the experienced ace of the staff, relies on movement and location with her pitches. She said she is very comfortable sharing the mound in her senior season.

"It gives us a chance to play our other positions and makes the team better as a whole," Kaunert said. "We're very lucky to have three talented pitchers like we do."

Tessmer is the power pitcher of the three, as her 42 strikeouts in 22 innings attest. She hasn't allowed a single run and has walked only one batter all season, while giving up just three hits.

Campbell, the newcomer to the varsity, has an earned run average of 0.00 in 16 innings.

"I definitely felt the pressure to perform," Campbell said. "But I have a great teammates behind me who are very supportive. In my no-hitter, I only had two strikeouts, which means the defense made plays on 19 balls. It was a team effort."

The one constant in Lebanon's battery-pack is junior catcher Alex Machen, who calls the pitches. She said catching multiple pitchers is no problem, especially with the team-first attitude the Warriors (9-0) have adopted.

"I had to learn how each pitcher likes me to set up and they throw different pitches, but I got used to it quickly," Machen said. "We're not looking ahead this season. We're focused one game at a time and take no one lightly."

That's an approach that has served the Warriors well.

No matter who is pitching.

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