Heraty a hit as Libertyville tops St. Viator
Minus a star trio, Libertyville's softball team benefitted from a Heraty duo in its season opener.
Hannah Heraty provided most of the heroics for the Wildcats in their 10-1 win over St. Viator in a nonconference game Wednesday. The junior, who committed to Dayton during the winter, went 3-for-4 with a double, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. She also pitched 6 innings, with the only run she allowed being unearned.
In her varsity debut, sophomore Lauren Heraty pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning. While it's uncertain whether the younger Heraty will stick with the varsity all season, she will make the trip with the team to Orlando, Fla., this weekend.
"She's been working really hard in the off-season," Hannah Heraty said of her kid sister. "I'm really proud of her for making her first appearance in a varsity game. She did great."
Hannah Heraty is one of four returning all-conference players for Libertyville, which posted 24 wins last season. The other three - seniors Jamie Stevens and Jessie Lauret, and junior Kenzie Rother - all missed the season opener. Stevens, who signed with Division-III power Tufts University, and Rother are nursing knee injuries.
"We've been working hard as a team building up to this game," Hannah Heraty said after allowing 5 hits (all singles), striking out five and walking none. "Missing three of our best players, it was great that we came out with the 'W.' "
Libertyville pounded out 13 hits, as leadoff-batter Sam Hilldale (run scored), Sarah Hoyer (RBI single) and Emily Hilldale (2 runs) each went 2-for-4. Besides Lauren Heraty, freshman Maggie Evers and juniors Allison Flores and Madeleine Hollinger also made their varsity debuts for the Wildcats. Evers had an RBI single and walked twice, the lefty-hitting Flores pounded a double to the opposite field, and Hollinger reached base twice and scored a run.
"We have a lot of really good athletes that we can move around," Libertyville coach Elissa Wisniewski said. "I think our younger players stepped up really well today. I thought it was a good test and a good first game for them."
Franny Quenan's 2-run single in the bottom of the first off Lions junior Grace Kaiser opened the scoring, and Lyndsey Lyon's infield RBI single made it 3-0. Hannah Heraty, who was recruited by Dayton as a hitter and positional player, ripped a 2-run double in the Wildcats' 4-run second.
Down 7-0 after two innings, St. Viator settled down.
"That was our first time on dirt and there were some (season-opening) jitters," Lions coach John Scotillo said. "It was a rough start, but I'm happy with the way we ended. We got some work to do, but I'm not totally unhappy with what I saw."
St. Viator, which won just five games last season, graduated only pitcher Krystal Harris. Scotillo started freshmen Cece Kaiser and Maggie Van Valkenburg, who had back-to-back singles in the fourth. Kaiser lined a shot to the center-field fence. Van Valkenburg's base hit drove in the Lions' only run.
"The freshmen had a nice start," Scotillo said.
Despite her team's quick start, Wisniewski knew the Lions weren't going to pack it in on the cool, windy afternoon. Her message to her players after the game was to respect every opponent.
"It doesn't matter who you're playing. Every kid up and down a varsity lineup can hit a ball," Wisniewski said. "Those (St. Viator) kids who put gap shots together and really hard-hit groundballs when they scored their run that (fourth) inning were the same kids who struck out in the second inning."