Richmond-Burton powers past Wauconda
When she arrived home from Wauconda's softball game Friday night, Bulldogs catcher Taylor McCarthy planned on calling, of course, her best friend/batterymate Kayla Wedl.
"We're actually going to Face Time because it's bedtime there," McCarthy said.
Wedl left on a European vacation with the high school foreign language group Thursday night. Wedl and McCarthy share five classes together.
"I never leave her throughout the day," McCarthy joked.
McCarthy would have to share this with Wedl, too: Richmond-Burton stunned host Wauconda 6-2. That's a Rockets team, mind you, that lost to Crystal Lake Central 10-3 in its season opener earlier in the week. Wauconda, as the three banners hanging on its outfield fence proudly note, has reached the Class 3A Elite Eight each of the last three seasons.
Lefty-hitting Haylie Regnier went 3-for-4, and Alexa Rodriguez smacked an RBI triple to highlight the Rockets' 7-hit attack.
"(The win) does a lot (for our confidence)," said Richmond-Burton coach Stephanie Hutchinson, whose team is comprised of mainly juniors. "Just seeing them come together and the excitement they had, that's what we come out and coach for."
The UIC-bound Wedl struck out 18 hitters in a six-inning no-hitter against Woodstock earlier in the week, and she also belted a 3-run homer.
"She'll be disappointed (with the loss), but I can't blame the pitching today," McCarthy said.
With one Kayla away, Wauconda (1-1) turned to its other Kayla. Freshman Kayla Serio made her first start in the circle and suffered the loss. She pitched 3-plus innings, allowing all 6 runs, only two of which were earned.
"Kayla did her job," McCarthy said. "She threw strikes. We just didn't make the plays to back her up."
Kelly Weller pitched 4 scoreless innings in relief for Wauconda, but the Bulldogs had trouble producing clutch hitting against the opposing pitcher. Rockets junior righty Rachael Hayden took a shutout into the bottom of the seventh, despite yielding 9 hits through six innings.
"My pitcher came ready to pitch, and that's what she did," Hutchinson said after her Rockets improved to 1-1.
Wauconda stranded 12 runners, including a pair in the seventh, when the Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard thanks to RBI singles by Brooke Sefcik and Mallory Carver (2-for-4). Wauconda finished with 12 hits, including a double by Serio, but struck out eight times against Hayden.
Sarah Ricci went 3-for-4 for the Bulldogs.
"We hit some shots, some good line drives," Wauconda coach Tim Rennels said. "But we had bad at-bats, too - timely bad at-bats."
Wauconda had some bad plays in the field as well. A team that doesn't always need to rely on defense when Wedl is striking out usually double-digit batters each start, the Bulldogs made 6 errors.
"That's a concern," Rennels said. "That's a flashback to early last season. Everybody was a little shaky out there."