Becker powers Lake Park past Glenbard North
Samantha Becker swung through a two-strike changeup her second at bat Saturday.
She didn't miss it again.
The Lake Park senior hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to rally the No. 8 Lancers past No. 14 Glenbard North 6-5 in their season opener in Roselle.
"It was an offspeed pitch - I kept my weight back like coach taught us and let it fly," Becker said. "It was one of those where you don't feel it. You just know it's gone."
Lake Park trailed 4-0 after five innings. Becker's two-run single in the sixth cut that margin in half, but Jenny Nelson padded Glenbard North's lead with a towering solo homer to centerin the top of the seventh.
Chelsea Henshaw drew a one-out walk in the bottom half off Panthers sophomore pitcher Lilly Fecho, and one out later Kelly Mieszala doubled over the left fielder to bring home courtesy runner Diane Denson to make it 5-3.
Carly Willert followed with a two-strike comebacker that Fecho knocked down but threw wildly to first, putting the tying run at second.
Up stepped Becker, who crushed an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left.
"I told her, 'If I get a homer for every strikeout on a changeup that's fine. I'll take it the rest of the season,' " said Lake Park coach Tom Mazzie with a laugh. "Our lineup is so deep we feel we can come back at any time."
"Very good hitting team," Glenbard North coach Josh Sanew said. "You give them a little light they take advantage."
It was a sour end to a sweet first week against Upstate Eight Conference opponents for Glenbard North. The Panthers (2-1) beat Elgin in their season opener, then battered No. 7 St. Charles East 12-1 on Friday.
Jessica Norman hit a solo homer in the second for Glenbard North, and the Panthers tacked on 2 runs in the fourth and 1 in the fifth with help from 3 Lake Park errors. Jenny Jochheim and Alyssa Jasinski hit run-scoring singles.
Fecho (1-1) held Lake Park scoreless with just 1 hit through five innings.
"We sorta fell asleep there for a half-inning," Sanew said. "Lilly was strong overall and our bats have been hitting the ball. We played six and a half good innings of ball. It's a shame we fell asleep for a half-inning, but it's better to happen now when you can learn from it."
Mieszala doubled twice and Angie Bates got the win in relief for Lake Park, who won despite committing an uncharacteristic 4 errors. The Lancers play a brutally tough first week, getting West Chicago on Monday and Lockport Wednesday at the Illinois Bash Indoor Jamboree, then go to Oak Park Saturday.
"What I was most proud of was I felt like inning two and three I could see them starting to get down on themselves and the dugout got real quiet," Mazzie said. "About inning five they started getting energized and started supporting each other. It's just infectious with this group. One through nine I'll take my lineup against anybody's lineup."