Immaculate Conception tops Wheaton Academy
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Katelyn Conenna didn’t fear digging an early hole against Wheaton Academy Friday.
With Immaculate Conception’s bats, no lead is safe.
For the second straight day, the Knights erased an early deficit against the Warriors, pounding out 14 hits for a 19-9, six-inning win at Benedictine University.
“We’ve always been a good-hitting team. We know we got power one through nine,” said Indiana recruit Conenna, who was 2-for-2 with a double, reached base four times and scored 4 runs. “Whatever teams put up against us we know we gotta match it.”
Immaculate Conception (10-8, 7-2 Suburban Christian Conference Gold), which beat Wheaton Academy 10-5 on Thursday, is scoring more than 13 runs per game in its wins. IC committed 4 errors, but the offensive onslaught easily covered for those sins.
“I knew we could outslug them,” IC coach Frank Reaber said. “We don’t have a shutdown pitcher, but we know we’re going to hit and we have to play defense. You put up 19 runs, you’re not losing the ballgame.”
A back-and-forth game saw Wheaton Academy (7-11, 5-5) score twice in the top of the first, IC come back to take a 5-2 lead and the Warriors answer in the third, sending 11 batters to the plate and score 5 times for a 7-5 lead.
IC kept coming, Maria Kieliszewski doubling in Conenna in the Knights half of the third. IC then scored 6 runs in the fourth to break things open. Conenna’s ground single scored Jocelyn Sanchez with the go-ahead run.
Leadoff hitter Sanchez went 3-for-3, reached base 5 times and scored 5 runs.
“Katelyn’s my best player, but we go as Jocelyn goes,” Reaber said. “If she gets on we can go first and third every time and she hasn’t been nailed yet.”
Jenn Clementi tripled, doubled and drove in 3 runs and Briana Iosco, who got the win in relief of Conenna, singled twice. IC had two runners thrown out on the bases, but an aggressive running team never took its foot off the gas pedal.
Judy Morris squeezed in 2 runs, one scoring from second base on a throw to first.
“My top six kids run the bases well,” Reaber said, “and we’re very aggressive.”
Wheaton Academy freshman leadoff hitter Marissa Gagliano showed why she’s a player to watch now and into the future. She tripled to ignite the Warriors’ big third inning, walked her next two times and scored twice. No. 2 hitter Caitlin Koehler singled twice, walked and scored 3 runs.
“Our top of the lineup is giving people problems,” Wheaton Academy coach Todd Starowitz said.
Jordyn Hoepner, Emily Hillstrom and Sarah McClain all added RBI singles for the Warriors, a young team who started three freshman and just one senior Friday.
“I don’t feel like we really gave them anything. They just can really hit,” Starowitz said. “We’ve led in 16 out of our 18 games; we just have difficulty closing out.”
