St. Viator swings into action with victory

The softball season for northwest Daily Herald area teams officially got underway on Friday.

But not in the northwest suburbs.

St. Viator traveled to Peoria, where it played in the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex and turned back Elgin St. Edward 9-5.

The Lions will play two more games in the dome on Saturday at 8 a.m. (Benet) and 10 a.m. (Peoria Notre Dame).

Senior Grace Kaiser earned the win for Viator, which received a triple from Nicole Ardito and doubles by Addie Swiderski and Jenna Breslin.

The Lions received a complete game from Kaiser, who struck out 11 and walked one.

Senior Cam VanValkenberg led the Lions' offense going 4 for 4 with 2 RBI. She also made a spectacular diving catch in center field.

Ardito got her first varsity hit as she rattled a triple off the center field wall. She also stole a base and scored 2 runs in an impressive rookie debut.

Swiderski, a senior catcher, added to the offense with 2 hits and 2 RBI.

The Lions' defense thwarted to big threats by St. Edward.

The first came on VanValkenberg's catch, the second on a nifty 3-6 double play when first baseman Haley Robinson snared a line drive and threaded a perfect throw to Aryana Ziakas at second base.

The Lions broke the game open with 5 runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Kaiser led off with a walk and Breslin drove her home with a double to right. Breslin scored on Swiderski's second hit of the game.

Ziakas kept the rally alive with a single, setting the stage for Ardito's bases-clearing triple.

Although the Green Wave answered back with 5 runs in the bottom half of the sixth, it was too little, too late.

Kaiser settled down and struck it four of the last 6 batters she faced.