St. Edward routs Marian Central
The long climb to .500 reached the top of the ladder Tuesday for St. Edward’s softball team.
The Green Wave pounded out 14 hits and senior Sarah Field allowed just 3 hits in 4 innings of work as St. Edward pummeled Marian Central 15-0 in a Suburban Christian Blue game played in a gale force wind at the Elgin Sports Complex.
“We’ve been focusing a lot on the mental part of the game,” said St. Edward senior catcher Tarah McShane, who was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI Tuesday. “We’ve been working hard as a team to get mentally focused and stay positive.”
It wasn’t hard for the Green Wave (7-7, 5-2) to stay focused Tuesday as they won their fourth straight and seventh in their last eight games after an 0-6 start.
The Wave jumped on Marian Central starter Courtney Einecker for 5 runs on 8 hits in the first two innings and never looked back. Kelsey Richmond had a 2-run double in the first inning for St. Edward, while Julie Larson, Kali Kossakowski and Field each ripped doubles in the second, Kossakowski’s and Field’s driving in runs.
“The bats were alive today,” said St. Edward coach Jaci Corn. “We really had good focus at the plate and Sarah pitched a great game. Considering how windy it was we played really good defense behind her.”
St. Edward extended its lead to 6-0 in the third when Veronica Rolando was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a wild pitch. The Wave then put up three more runs in the fourth as McShane had an RBI double and Maddie Kerr a 2-run double.
Six more St. Edward runs came across the plate in the fifth. Field drew a bases-loaded walk for an RBI, Richmond had a 2-run single and Kerr drove in another run with a single.
“We had five new starters at the beginning of the season,” said the Valparaiso-bound McShane. “They had to step up and learn what to do at the varsity level. They have stepped up and played their roles. We’ve all stepped in and supported each other and positive things have happened.”
Marian Central slipped to 4-8 overall and 1-3 in the SCC.