Softball: Addison Trail defeats Larkin
The best thing about Addison Trail's Monday was that it was closely followed by Tuesday.
After losing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh at Elgin on Monday, the Blazers returned to the softball diamond to beat visiting Larkin 8-4 in a nonconference game on Tuesday.
"We talked about a little (before the game). But this was a new day, a new game," said Addison Trail junior Marie Baumgartner, whose one-out single to right in the first inning was the game-winning hit.
Larkin (0-7) wasted no time in striking first. Leadoff hitter Samantha Wahl grabbed the first pitch for a double to right. She stole third and came home on Jenny Beltran's groundball out.
The Blazers (2-5) responded with three runs in their half of the first. Leadoff hitter Sophia Hawkins walked, as did Nicolette Napoli and Alyssa McMahon. That set the stage for Baumgartner's hit.
"Right before my first hit I was going over in my mind what the coaches told us before the game," Baumgartner said.
One of those things being stressed is having a complete follow through on a swing where the knob of the faces the pitcher.
Addison Trail made it 4-1 in the third. Sophomore Nicolette Scorza reached on a fielding error and later scored on a passed ball.
The Royals cut the lead to 4-3 by scoring two runs in the fourth. Sophie Young led off with an infield hit by beating out a groundball. Alexa Urbanik reached base on a dropped flyball. Jocelyn Jimenez's groundball out scored Young, and Megan Chwee's infield hit brought Urbanik home.
Larkin coach Anne Vogt was pleased with the progress that the Larkin hitters made, including just striking out once against Addison Trail.
"I just said (in the postgame meeting) that we've been struggling to get hits. And the first step is to just hit the ball and they'll drop and we started doing that today and we'll do it some more tomorrow (against Bartlett)," she said.
The Blazers added two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and one in the sixth to keep a grip on the game. RBI singles from McMahon and Scorza scored the runs in the fourth. Hawkins' two-out double to right in the fifth brought home Julia Liace, who was pinch-running for Jessica Bach, who had walked.
Vincenza Zaccaro singled to left in the sixth, and that scored Baumgartner for the Blazers' final run.
"We had some timely hitting and we're able to come back in the first after (the Royals) got the first run and we were able to get ahead and stay there," said Addison Trail coach Mark Olson. "We were able to get some runs with two outs and we haven't done much of that yet. Our pitcher today (winner Ally Polhad) is a freshman. Our starting catcher (Hawkins) is a freshman. We're young and this season is going to be a baptism by fire."
The Blazers return to action at Proviso West on Thursday.