Softball: St. Edward's Senior Night a booming success
A new bat and the adrenaline of Senior Night were the only things Allie Stratman needed to get the St. Edward offense heated up on a cold night at Judson University in Elgin.
That and 125 swings from mom to break the bat in.
Stratman's laser shot line drive over the left field fence in the bottom of the first inning staked the Green Wave to a 2-0 lead against Wheaton Academy, and St. Edward went on to win the Metro Suburban West softball matchup 8-4.
"I have to attribute that to my mom (Karen)," said Stratman of her third homer of the season. "I got a new bat and she broke it in for me. (The home run) wasn't even something I was thinking about or even a goal I had for this game. It surprised me as much as anyone."
Senior Lindsay Zdroik, who also hit a 3-run home run in the third inning - her ninth of the season to go with 47 RBI - to give the Green Wave (16-7, 7-3) an 8-0 lead, allowed 8 hits and struck out 11 to close to within 10 Ks of Jackie Brittain's career school record of 680.
Rachel Lesh and Clarissa Vargas, the other two seniors honored Wednesday, also got into the early action for St. Edward. Lesh reached on an error to start the first inning and Vargas' 2-run single completed the Wave's 5-run opening frame.
"The seniors have done a great job all year," said first-year St. Edward coach Paul Netzel. "They came to play tonight and they're just great leaders."
St. Edward had 9 hits off Wheaton Academy junior Andi Pivaronas, including 2 each from Zdroik and junior Devyn Ernst, but Pivaronas settled down in the later innings and got out of jams in the fourth and fifth innings that could have led to St. Edward making it a run rule game. St. Edward stranded 7 baserunners in the final three innings.
Meanwhile, the Warriors (6-11, 4-7) didn't fold their tent against Valparaiso recruit Zdroik, even though they were down 8-0.
Wheaton Academy came back with a run in the fifth when Pivaronas drove in junior Meghan Gagliano, who tripled with one out. The Warriors then scored three times in the sixth as Gagliano had a 2-run double and Pivaronas an RBI double. Pivaronas had 3 hits on the night.
"(St. Edward) is a great team with a great pitcher and a great top of the lineup," said Warriors coach Sammy Marshall. "But I think we won every aspect of that game except the total runs. The longball hurt us and it's tough to come back from 8-0 but our hitters kept fighting and we love to see that."