Softball: Naperville North bats batter Naperville Central
The Naperville North softball bats have heated up the last two weeks along with the weather, and it's no coincidence that wins have followed suit for the Huskies.
Third baseman Maddie Vassar started things off Monday with a two-out, 2-run single in the first inning against visiting Naperville Central. The Huskies bats stayed hot from there, building an 8-1 lead after four innings on the way to a 12-4 DuPage Valley Conference defeat of the rival Redhawks (7-11, 2-4).
"We had a rough beginning (this spring) but we started coming together as a team," said Vassar, who added a deep RBI double in a 4-run outburst in the sixth. "We are starting to pull things together and we're starting to get our bats going."
Naperville Central helped the hosts some by committing 4 errors in the game, but the Huskies made solid contact throughout against Redhawks pitchers Halle Arends and Staci Stark. Naperville North finished with game with 9 hits and 2 walks while notching its fifth straight win to improve to 6-8 on the year and 3-3 in the DVC.
"That started the game for us and I'm just glad we were able to beat our rival," Vassar said of her first-inning liner to left that scored Kelsey Warren and Morgan Johannes. "We were able to keep things going and I'm proud of my team. They've been a tough opponent throughout the years and this feels really good."
Leadoff hitter Janelle Honaker had a single and two walks and scored three times for North, while Johannes walked and scored in the first and then delivered an RBI double in the third and a bases-clearing 3-run double in the sixth.
"It was huge to get that and to get a lead off their pitcher who had been pitching pretty well," Huskies coach Jerry Kedziora said of Vassar's basehit off Arends.
"Maddie has been coming up clutch for us and that was another big two-out hit. That's one of the reasons we've been turning things around. She's been coming up with some big hits. It's been amazing what she's been able to do."
In the Huskies' 4-run sixth that put the game away, Warren came to bat with runners on first and second and one out and sent a liner toward left field. The ball hit teammate Maya Tucker, who was headed toward third base, but the umpires ruled the baserunner could safely advance to third since Tucker was behind Central shortstop Lindsay Gonzalez. The unusual play set the stage for Johannes' bases-clearing double to left.
"We didn't play very well and they made us pay," Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said. "It's like the perfectness of the game mandates that you only give them three outs. If you give them four outs or five outs, you're going to get burned. They were good today anyway and they made us pay extra for giving them four and five outs."
The Redhawks managed 5 hits off Huskies pitcher Dani Biesiada, with Arends delivering a double and a single and Gonzalez doubling home a run in the fifth.