Softball: Batavia breaks out the big bats against Streamwood
With the wind blowing out at the Streamwood softball diamond on Friday visiting Batavia pulled out some of its seldom used heavy lumber.
The Bulldogs, who had previously only hit 5 home runs all season, launched a pair of 2-run homers - by Rachel Lovestrand and Olivia Bumbar - to power their way to an 8-5 win in Upstate Eight River Division action.
"We are not really a power hitting team," Batavia coach Lupe Castellanos said. "We are more of a gap-hitting team, but it was nice to get a couple long balls today to help us get some runs. We have some girls who can definitely hit the ball hard."
Lovestrand's blast came in her first at-bat and was part of a 4-run first inning for the Bulldogs. Brieann Cruz added an RBI single.
Batavia left fielder Jessica Kleist helped preserve the lead in the bottom of the first inning when she reached over the fence to rob Streamwood's Jessica Daley of a 2-run homer. It was the first game this year that Kleist played in left field. She is usually the starting second baseman, but made the shift because the Bulldogs were short outfielders because of absences.
"That was a huge play," Castellanos said. "This is a game of momentum. At that point we had all the momentum and there is no telling what would have happened if Jessica doesn't make that play and the momentum would have shifted to them.'
The Bulldogs (9-5, 5-3) extended the lead to 6-0 in the third inning with Bumbar's 2-run homer. It was the senior's first home run of the season.
"I was long overdue," Bumbar said. "I got a couple riseballs the first time I was up and I was expecting to see some more the next time up, but instead I got a pitch right over the plate. I could tell right away I hit it on the sweet spot."
The Sabres (6-8, 3-4) did not go down without a fight. They scored twice in the fourth inning and 2 more times in the fifth to get to within 7-4. Batavia added an insurance run in the sixth inning on an RBI double from Jena Bendoaitis to make it 8-4.
Jaelen Lisberg went the distance in the circle to pick up the win for the Bulldogs and improve her record to 4-3. She struck out 12 while yielding 9 hits and walking 3 batters.
Jessica Daley took the loss for the Sabres. At the plate she was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and 2 RBI.
Rebecca Daley added an RBI double for Streamwood.
"Really proud of the way the kids hung in their and battled back," Streamwood coach Natalie Randazzo said. "I liked that we were aggressive at the plate. We just needed a few more hits to fall."