Softball: West Aurora rallies past Streamwood
With St. Charles East, Geneva, Kaneland and possibly Burlington Central coming up the next four days, West Aurora - ranked seventh in the Daily Herald Top 20 - is going to learn a lot about itself this week.
Streamwood nearly taught them a lesson Tuesday in Aurora. The Sabres came out aggressive with 3 straight hits to start the game, grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third inning and were still locked in a 3-3 tie heading to the fifth.
West Aurora's bats finally figured out Sabres starter Jessica Daley, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth and adding another in the sixth for a hard-fought 6-3 Upstate Eight Conference crossover win.
"We're shaking off the rust," West Aurora coach Randy Hayslett said. "We didn't come out with our best game. Made some errors we shouldn't have made and took us awhile to time her (Daley) up and square her up. And they came out swinging the bats well and we could have been in a deeper hole. We have to pick it up for the rest of the week. This is not how we can play."
Streamwood (3-5, 0-2) started the game with Rebecca Daley's double, a single from Taylyr Crocilla and Jessica Daley's double for a 1-0 lead. With runners at second and third and no outs, Blackhawks starter Libby Zoppa worked out of the jam.
West Aurora (5-0, 2-0) tied the game in its half of the first on a double by leadoff hitter Hannah Beatus and Grace Hunger's RBI single.
Sabres freshman Laura Dietrich doubled and scored in the second, and Melissa Hart's 2-out single up the middle gave Streamwood a 3-1 lead in the third.
The Blackhawks tied the game in the third as Beatus and Corey McCreedy singled to start the inning and Hunger delivered another run-scoring single.
"I just went in with confidence," Hunger said. "I was ready, I have been practicing a lot."
After Carley Frauenhoff led off the fifth with a double, Hunger blasted a ball to right that went off the head of the Sabres right fielder and scored Frauenhoff. Kallie Rundle's sacrifice fly plated Hunger.
Beatus, the Blackhawks' ace, relieved Zoppa in the sixth and retired all 6 batters she faced in the final 2 innings, striking out four.
"I'm confident we have a good 1-2 punch," Hayslett said.
Rebbeca Dailey led the Sabres with 2 hits joining Hunger as the only players in the game with multiple hits.
"They were stiff competition and we did the best we could and we just have to get our bats going when they have a faster pitcher," said Streamwood coach Natalie Randazzo who praised the play of Jessica Dailey, catcher Becky Roncone and Crocilla's defense at third.
West Aurora knows it can't afford another slow start or 3 errors again beginning Wednesday against St. Charles East.
"I think we're going to be challenged but I think we're ready to see some really good competition," Hunger said. "Hannah will be ready with the pitching and I think our bats are good."