Softball: West Aurora sweeps Waubonsie Valley
Ask West Aurora softball coach Randy Hayslett the top factor in the Blackhawks' success this season and he quickly says pitching.
West Aurora's strength in the circle was again evident Saturday at Waubonsie Valley where the Blackhawks swept the Warriors 13-0 in five innings and 2-0.
"Our starting pitching has been phenomenal. We have three pitchers that bring it," Hayslett said after his team improved to 21-1 with the nonconference wins.
Both Hannah Beatus, a junior, and freshman Payton Lundberg each threw 1-hitters. Beatus struck out 10, had a no-hitter going through four innings and set the Warriors down in order during three innings.
In the nightcap Lundberg set the Waubonsie lineup down in order four times and struck out the side twice. She finished with 17 strikeouts.
"(The three pitchers) have been the key to our success. Payton has not been scored upon. Hannah's ERA is 0.38 and Libby Zoppa is 7-0," Hayslett said.
The Blackhawks struck early in a big way in Game 1, taking a 10-0 lead after two innings on 10 hits. Two-run singles by Beatus and Grace Hunger, RBI doubles by Sarah Hansen and Jessica Vargas along with run-scoring basehits by Carley Frauenhoff and Kallie Rundle fueled the offense.
In the fourth inning Hansen connected on a 2-run double as West Aurora scored three more runs. Hansen, Frauenhoff and Hunger each finished with 3 RBI apiece.
For Waubonsie Valley (12-12), its lone hit came in the fifth inning when Caleigh Cramer doubled to right.
Beatus and Lundberg faced different types of games, but Beatus said that a pitcher has to approach each contest the same.
"You have to have the same attitude and confidence regardless if there's a big or small lead," she said.
Game 2 was on the opposite end of the spectrum from the first one. It wasn't decided until the seventh inning.
RBI singles from Jamie McCreedy and Hansen led to the Blackhawks' two runs in the seventh.
Tiffany Kuta led off the fourth with a single to left for the Warriors' lone hit, although Veronica Zahn and Michele Calabrese walked to put runners on first and second in the fifth for Waubonsie's best scoring opportunity of the day.
"It's awesome (West Aurora's record)," Lundberg said. "But you have to go into every single game with a killer instinct no matter what the record of the other team."
Waubonsie got another solid outing from Stephanie Wilczynski, who struck out seven.
"We couldn't ask anything more from her. She threw well, but they got those timely hits," said Waubonsie coach Val Wood.
The Waubonsie coach was pleased with how her team improved from the first game. She said repair work needs to be done on the Warriors' hitting.
"We need to make adjustments and make them early. They have to be mentally tougher," she said. "We have three more conference games next week. We have a chance to turn it around and get the hits back. This (Game 2) is the best we have looked in a while."
The Warriors' new week begins Monday at Naperville Central. West Aurora returns to Upstate Eight Conference play at St. Charles North. Both games start at 4:30 p.m.