Buffalo Grove opens with win over Cary-Grove
With only one senior on the 2016 roster, patience will need to be virtue for 23rd-year Cary-Grove softball coach Tammy Olson.
The youthful Trojans fell to 0-3 for the young season with a 3-1 loss to Buffalo Grove in nonconference action in Cary Friday afternoon.
Despite the loss, Olson was able to find positives.
Brianne Prank, the Trojans' lone senior, provided the only run of the game for her team with a solo home run that easily cleared the center field
fence in the second inning. Prank, who was 2-of-3 on the day, also doubled in the fourth inning.
Olson also lauded the effort of pitcher Rachel Stanley, who allowed 3 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings of work. Stanley struck out 3 Bison hitters while allowing 1 walk in absorbing the loss.
"Both Brianne and Rachel were certainly bright spots for us today," said Olson. "Brianne provides us with timely hitting and great senior leadership. Rachel pitched a great game and gave us a chance to win."
Buffalo Grove (1-0), playing in its first game of the season, scored first tallying 2 runs in the top of the second.
The key hits in the inning were an RBI triple from Bailey Williams and a run-scoring single by winning pitcher Alyssa DePhillips.
The Trojans cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning on Prank's solo homer.
The Bison scored an insurance run in the fifth courtesy of an RBI single by Jasmine Aviles to make the score 3-1.
The Trojans threatened in the bottom of the sixth. Anna Whitaker walked with one out bringing Prank to the plate as the tying run. DePhillips induced Prank with a change up to fly out to Buffalo Grove center fielder Katie Fontanetta.
"It crossed my mind to walk (Prank)," said Buffalo Grove coach Starr Dorsey. "She is an outstanding hitter. I didn't want to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. We didn't want to give her anything good to hit. Alyssa made a great pitch and had her off stride."
DePhillips allowed 1 run on 5 hits in 7 innings of work. She struck out 4 Trojans with 3 walks.
Aviles paced the Bison offensive attack with 2 hits, an RBI and a run scored.
"We are young and we need to cut down on the mistakes," said Olson. "But I have seen improvement over the three games."