Huntley scores big win over Dundee-Crown
It's getting to the time of year when every victory is precious. Whether the goal is regional seeding or the conference standings, teams need all the wins they can get.
Huntley's softball team was aware of that as the Red Raiders prepared to travel to Carpentersville for a matchup with Dundee-Crown. The Red Raiders came out determined, and came away with a 9-1 win in Fox Valley Conference Valley Division action, avenging a loss to the Chargers earlier in the season.
"The girls knew what was on the line today," said Red Raider coach Mark Petryniec. "The (regional) seeding meeting is coming up. They beat us the last time, and we have to respond."
Freshman Tiffany Giese entered the circle with the bases loaded in the third inning and delivered 4⅔ innings of 1-hit relief for the win. She also doubled twice.
Megan Larson had 3 hits including a pair of doubles, and Haley Spannraft slugged a double and a home run for Huntley (15-5, 4-2).
The Chargers seemed to be running in quicksand. They managed just 3 hits on the day, leaving 7 runners on base in the first 3 innings.
"We had some scoring opportunities in the first couple innings that didn't develop for us," said Chargers' coach Tracy Beatty. "We just didn't come with confidence today."
Beatty felt that a couple of miscues in the outfield early affected her team at the plate later on.
The Red Raiders scored 4 times in the second inning on 2 walks and 3 hits, all of the bloop variety. Jessica Knutsen dropped a 9-iron into right field that scored the first run. Giese then plopped one into short center and legged it out for a double, scoring another run. Shannon Walsh then delivered a soft liner to score 2 more.
The Chargers (11-6, 3-3) scored their lone run in the third on an error, 2 hit batters, and a walk. At that point, Isabel Rodriguez, who drew the bases-loaded free pass, represented the tying run and Petryniec summoned Giese from right field. She got out of the inning with no further damage and retired 12 of the 13 batters she faced over the final 4 innings.
It was a bit of an adjustment coming in from right field in the middle of an inning.
"My hand was a little cold," said Giese. "My warm-ups were bad. I had to get used to it, but my hand warmed up."
Her Raider teammates added single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, the last on Spannraft's shot over the fence in right.
"I've been in a slump lately," said Spannraft, who batted in the eighth spot. "I crowded the plate because she had been pitching outside. It looked right down the middle to me."
Freshman Andrea Conway reached base three times for D-C and scored the Chargers' only run.